THE United States on Friday set new import duties on solar products from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan after the U.S. Commerce Department “found that the solar panels and cells are being sold too cheaply on the U.S. market.”

    Preliminary anti-dumping duties as high as 165.04 percent for Chinese goods would come on top of anti-subsidy levies imposed last month, as the U.S. arm of German solar manufacturer SolarWorld AG seeks to close a loophole allowing Chinese producers to sidestep duties imposed in 2012.

    The Chinese mainland’s Trina Solar faces total import duties of nearly 30 percent and Suntech Power nearly 50 percent as a result of Friday’s decision.

    Taiwanese producers face anti-dumping duties of up to 44.18 percent, with the highest rate applying to Motech Industries, the U.S. Commerce Department said. There will be no doubling-up of duties with those from the 2012 case.

    SolarWorld said the new duties would average 47 percent for most companies, compared with 31 percent in the 2012 case.

    The company, which makes crystalline silicon solar panels in Oregon, complained that Chinese manufacturers dodged those duties by shifting production of the cells used to make their panels to Taiwan.

    U.S. imports of solar products from the Chinese mainland were worth US$1.5 billion in 2013, half the level of 2011, while imports from Taiwan more than doubled to US$657 million over the period, according to U.S. data.

    The U.S. Commerce Department will make its final decision by Dec. 15.

    It was the second U.S. investigation against Chinese photovoltaic products after a similar one in 2011. China’s Ministry of Commerce has reiterated its calls for the United States to objectively and fairly handle ongoing solar trade disputes, honor its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.(SD-Agencies)