KUALA LUMPUR (April 22): Solar cells exported into the US from Malaysia and its neighbours Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam will be subjected to steep anti-dumping duties.
Malaysia’s rate is the lowest at 8.59% among antidumping and countervailing duties (CVD) on the four Southeast Asian nations. Certain companies based in Malaysia, however, are slapped with duties of as high as 81.24% due to their non-cooperation with investigations.
Investigations into imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, found that companies in each country were receiving subsidies from China, according to a statement by the US Department of Commerce.
“These are among the first CVD investigations” where the Department of Commerce “made an affirmative finding that companies received transnational subsidies,” the department added.
The decision follows investigations over a case filed by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee last year, complaining that Chinese manufacturers with production plants in Southeast Asia dump high volumes of solar products in the US.
The trade group accused Chinese solar manufacturers of unfair trade practices by dodging tariffs on solar cells and solar panels by shifting their supply chains and shipping their products through Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Malaysia exported US$1.9 billion (RM8.31 billion) worth of solar products into the US in 2023, while receiving countervailable subsidies averaging 34.41%, according to the investigations.
The US also decided to levy imports of photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, with final dumping margins of 271.28% for Vietnam, 125.37% for Cambodia, and 111.45% for Thailand.
The duties, however, still depend on the decision by International Trade Commission, a separate US agency, which has until June 2, 2025 to make its final injury determination before the Department of Commerce enforces the duties.