CASE calls on SolarWorld to withdraw ITC petition

WASHINGTON, USA: Pointing to damage to America’s burgeoning solar industry that high tariffs on solar cells and panels imported from China could cause, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) has urged SolarWorld, a German solar cell manufacturer, to withdraw its harmful petition to the International Trade Commission (ITC) and Department of Commerce.

In a letter to Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America Inc., CASE president, Jigar Shah stated: “The severe tariffs SolarWorld seeks would have a very damaging effect on the solar industry in the United States and would fundamentally undermine many years of effort by all of us who care about the future of solar power. In simple dollar terms, your petition threatens the planned installation of solar electric power systems in the amount of $11 billion in 2012 and the potential installation of $60 billion currently in the total pipeline.”

Shah also cited the strain the petition could place on US-China trade relations. “The imposition of severe tariffs could ignite a solar trade war that would result in retaliatory tariffs against US solar exports to China.

"In fact, the Chinese have begun just such an investigation.Last year alone, the US had well over $1.5 billion in solar exports to China, with net exports to China of some $400 million,” he explained. “This could devastate the many American-owned companies exporting solar products to China and cause thousands more American jobs to be lost.” Shah also noted that China has just imposed tariffs on certain imports of automobiles manufactured in the United States.

CASE is united in its commitment to support the continued growth and development of the solar industry in America. The coalition’s 145 member companies employ over 14,000 solar professionals across every major region and in more than two dozen states, including Arizona,California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, among others.

“CASE’s membership represents 97-98 percent of America’s solar industry where 52 percent of all the jobs are in solar panel installation, jobs that are right here at home. At the same time SolarWorld represents a sector that creates only 2-3 percent of our solar industry jobs,” Shah stated.