American solar companies are not alone in their battle with Chinese trade cheating. The Obama administration recently imposed tariffs because Chinese "dumping" was hurting American companies (like Solyndra). German solar companies are also bringing trade complaints against China for pricing their products below cost to try to put companies in other countries out of business.
Oil-backed Republicans are fighting our solar industry tooth-and-nail, complaining that the Obama administration attempted to foster an alternative-energy industry that could bring us a share of millions of new jobs and trillions of dollars. They even trumped up a phony scandal about Solyndra
Businessweek: Solarworld-Led Group Files China Anti-Dumping Case in Europe,
Solarworld AG (SWV), Germany’s largest solar-panel maker, led a group of manufacturers in requesting the European Commission investigate whether Chinese competitors dumped products at below-market rates on regional markets.
The EU ProSun group filed the anti-dumping complaint in Brussels after a similar request in the U.S. resulted in duties on solar imports from China. The group has 25 members including companies from Italy, Spain and Germany’s Sovello GmbH, EU ProSun President Milan Nitzschke said today.
“A majority of the European solar industry backs the complaint,” Nitzschke said by e-mail. “Chinese companies are offering their products below manufacturing costs despite their own massive losses.”
In May I wrote about the Obama administration imposing tariffs on Chinese solar panels: Will Conservatives Support American Companies … Or Chinese?
In March I laid out the case: Tariffs On Chinese Solar Might Help Prevent The Next Solyndra
