Anti-dumping Duty in India

The Government of India is in a fix trying to decide whether to impose anti-dumping duties or not. The Government’s intention is to protect and support the domestic solar industry by imposing anti-dumping duties against China, USA, Malaysia and Taiwan. However top ten solar power producers, in India like Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd and Jackson Ltd. have requested the MNRE not to impose anti-dumping duties on imported solar equipments and gears. The Solar power producers say this in their interest to reduce their cost of production. The Government also wants to make solar power available at cheaper and affordable rates with an aim of reaching grid parity soon.

India has joined the solar panel wars starting it own anti dumping investigation into imports of Solar Cells imported from China, USA, Malaysia and Taiwan. The Ministry of Commerce has found evidence that these imports have led to damage of the local solar manufacturing industry. The Indian solar industry has been crying hoarse for quite some time now against the imports of cheap solar panels from USA and China. Despite the central subsidy JNNSM mandating use of local solar modules for projects, thin film modules have been exempt. This has meant that the vast majority of the winners have used thin film solar panels making First Solar the biggest solar panel supplier in India.

The local state subsidy missions have no such requirements which have led solar developers to use Chinese solar panels which are much cheaper than Indian counterparts.

The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Ten solar power producers, including Jackson Ltd, Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd have written to the ministry of new and renewable energy ( MNRE) saying imposition of anti-dumping duty on solar imports will severely affect the fledgling Indian solar industry.

 Producers and equipment manufacturers have been at loggerheads since the latter filed an anti-dumping case against China, the US, Taiwan and Malaysia last year for imported solar panels. Producers have called a halt to such measures till phase two of the national solar mission begins and new projects are commissioned.

Stuck between the two, the government is trying to strike the right balance. “We want the domestic industry to be protected and on the other hand we also hope to make solar power available at cheaper rates and grid parity to be achieved quite soon,” said Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary, ministry of new and renewable energy.