China Not To Extend Duties On EU Poly Imports

• China's imposition of countervailing and antidumping duties on polysilicon imported from Europe expired on October 31, 2018
• Chinese Ministry of Commerce has announced it will not extend these import tariffs anymore
• The reason it gives is that it did not get any representation from the domestic industry to renew the duties; but, in fact, it was the answer to the EU terminating import tariffs for Chinese cells and modules

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has decided to do away with the countervailing and antidumping duties on polysilicon imported from the European Union. This decision comes after the European Union terminated in September the import duties it had imposed on Chinese solar cells and modules.

China had imposed duties in May 2014 against European polysilicon imports in retaliation to the duties imposed by the European Union on Chinese modules in 2013. The EU then extended its solar duties for another 18 months in March 2017. In return, the Chinese ministry had renewed its duties in May 2017 that were to last for a period of 18 months that ended on October 31, 2018.

After lengthy internal discussions, the EU finally decided to scrap its import tariffs  on solar panels and cells from China with effect from September 3, 2018 (see End of MIP on Chinese Modules Close). Now MOFCOM has announced it will not renew its tariffs since no local company or association came forward with request to renew it.

While the Chinese ministry said it did not get any request for renewal to continue the duties from the domestic industry, it can be looked at as a step in the direction of improving the trade relations between these two big solar markets of the world that will ultimately strengthen the solar industry as a whole.