Solar association calls for free PV trade between China and Europe

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) has changed its position on the ‘solar dumping’ situation of cheaper Chinese solar technology flooding the European market, calling for undistorted free trade to return as soon as possible.

EPIA President OIiver Schaefer outlined the organisation’s position at a PV conference in Shanghai, saying: ‘EPIA is a strong supporter of free and fair trade and we would like to see trade relations between Europe and China, on solar modules and cells, return to normal undistorted, fair trade as soon as possible, when the duties and respective price undertaking expire in 2015. ’

The association, which was previously in favour of duties on Chinese cells and modules, has reversed its views as it thinks that cheaper solar equipment will increase job creation across the entire solar supply and value chain – especially in the installation sector – in a struggling European Market. It estimates that half of the European solar sector’s 265,000 jobs in 2011 have now disappeared, and that European duties on Chinese solar products are a likely factor in the slowdown in annual growth of installations in Europe.

Since December 2013, anti-dumping and countervailing duties have been applied in Europe on crystalline silicon modules and cells from China. The duties and a minimum import price are due to expire in December this year.

Meanwhile in China itself, 5 GW of solar power was connected to the grid in the first quarter of this year, according to the country’s National Energy Administration. Around 4.4 GW of this was in the form of large, utility-scale plants. China now has 33 GW of solar power and aims to add a total of 18 GW this year.