On May 16, the China Trade Remedy Information Network announced that in response to an application submitted by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee on April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a ban on imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Anti-dumping, and countervailing investigations initiated on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells (whether assembled into modules or not) from Thailand and Vietnam

The above cases involve products under US customs codes 8541.40.6025, 8541.42.0010, 8541.40.6015 and 8541.43.0010 and some products under 8541.40.6015 and 8541.43.0010. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is expected to make a preliminary ruling on industrial injury in this case no later than June 10, 2024.

If the U.S. International Trade Commission determines that the import of the products involved has caused substantial damage or the threat of substantial damage to the U.S. domestic industry, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to investigate the case and is expected to make a preliminary countervailing ruling on July 18, 2024. , made a preliminary anti-dumping ruling on October 1.

According to U.S. statistics, the amount of the products under investigation in the United States imported from the countries involved in the case in 2023 was approximately US$2.3 billion from Cambodia, US$1.9 billion from Malaysia, US$3.7 billion from Thailand, and US$4 billion from Vietnam.

Data officially disclosed by the U.S. International Trade Administration shows that the current dumping tax rates in Cambodia are 125.37%, Malaysia is 81.22%, and Thailand and Vietnam are 70.36% and 271.28% respectively.

In fact, the last round of anti-counterfeiting issues in Southeast Asia has not officially ended yet.

In February 2022, California photovoltaic module company Auxin Solar submitted a petition, hoping that the U.S. Department of Commerce would launch an anti-tariff avoidance investigation on solar products from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

A few months later, U.S. President Biden announced that photovoltaic panels from four Southeast Asian countries would be exempt from tariffs for 24 months. In June this year, the anti-circumvention exemption period for four Southeast Asian countries is about to end.

In August last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the above-mentioned anti-circumvention investigation. The final results showed that the four countries under investigation, namely Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, were found to have circumvention nationwide. Among the eight companies that were forced to respond to the anti-circumvention investigation, BYD Hong Kong, Canadian Solar (688472.SH), Trina Solar, LONGi and New East Solar, were temporarily identified as engaging in evasive behavior. The three companies of Hanwha, Jinko Solar and Boviet, a subsidiary of Boway, are considered to have no circumvention behavior.

Currently, LONGi has integrated production capacity in Malaysia and battery and module production capacity in Vietnam.

Jinko Solar’s annual report shows that it has further expanded its global integrated supply chain, including factories in Southeast Asia. Previous data showed that the company's annual battery production capacity in Malaysia is about 6.3GW, and its annual module production capacity is about 7.1GW. It has also invested in building silicon wafer, battery, and module production capacity in Vietnam.

JA Solar Technology has basically formed an integrated photovoltaic production capacity of 6GW at its base in Vietnam and has a factory in Malaysia. Trina Solar has built a total of 6.5GW of integrated production capacity in Vietnam and Thailand.

In addition, many Chinese photovoltaic companies, such as Canadian Solar, Risen Energy, ASTRONERGY, and GCL , have a presence in Southeast Asia. According to statistics from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, nearly 20 photovoltaic companies in China have deployed photovoltaic production in Southeast Asia through joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, investments, etc.

Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/B9btEhL6VOZHKXdHkqorzg