India ends anti-dumping probe into solar cells from Vietnam, Thailand, China

India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has terminated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of solar cells from Vietnam, Thailand, and China following an Indian Solar Manufacturers Association request.

The ministry’s investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) launched on May 15, 2021 a probe into alleged dumping of “solar cells whether or not assembled into modules or panels” exported from the three nations, following a complaint by the association.

“In view of the request made by the domestic industry, ISMA, the authority hereby terminates the investigation initiated on May 15, 2021 against the imports of solar cells whether or not assembled into modules or panels exported by these countries,” the DGTR said in a notification.

India’s anti-dumping rules of 1995 provide for the termination of a probe in certain situations which include withdrawal of application by the affected domestic industry at whose instance the investigation was initiated. For this case, the DGTR notification, dated November 9, said ISMA withdrew its application this July.

In the Indian government system, the DGTR is the body that recommends anti-dumping duties, while the Department of Revenue takes the final decision to impose them or not.

In the U.S. early this June, President Joe Biden decided to waive tariffs on solar panel imports from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia for a 24-month period as part of his push for clean energy.

Then, Texas-based renewable energy developer Vesper Energy signed a deal late this September to buy 861-megawatt solar modules from Vietnam-headquartered manufacturer Boviet Solar. The imports will be used for Vesper’s solar and storage projects located in Texas and Ohio.

Earlier this September, Miami-headquartered solar energy developer Origis Energy signed an additional purchase order for more than 400 MW of capacity with Boviet Solar, following a 700 MW agreement the duo signed this July. Delivery of all solar modules ordered is slated for 2023.

In addition to Boviet, Vietnam is also home to major foreign makers of solar cells and panels like Shanghai-based JinkoSolar, First Solar from Tempe, Arizona, and Canada-headquartered Canadian Solar, which have made manufacturing in Vietnam an important part of their global production networks.

JinkoSolar, a global manufacturer, announced Sunday that renewable energy was now providing 51.3% of the power used by its facilities globally, with the company’s next objective being to reach 60% by the end of 2023. The current status includes its 12 factories in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the U.S. - they run on a mix of hydro, solar, and wind energy the company has either developed itself or purchased.