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China Files WTO Complaint over U.S. Solar Tariffs

Dan Energy, Industry News Release, Trade

China’s latest shot in a tit-for-tat trade war is a World Trade Organization Complaint over U.S. solar tariffs.

chinaChina filed a complaint with the WTO to help determine the legality of the U.S. policies, saying they not only harm China’s rights but also undermine the WTO’s authority, according to Reuters. China says the U.S. tariffs and the U.S. “decision to subsidize renewable energy firms” has distorted the global market.

The Trump administration in January announced it was imposing “Safeguard tariffs” over four years, with a 30 percent tariff in the first year reduced gradually to 15 percent in year four. The action, however, is not expected to have an immediate impact on China’s major solar manufacturers, as their exposure to U.S. markets was reduced after earlier trade disputes.

One Chinese executive told Reuters that U.S. solar tariffs were a “sideshow” and had little effect on Chinese business.

Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.