Thursday, June 12, 2014: Showing grave discontent over the Director General of Anti Dumping’s recommendation to the Finance Ministry that Anti Dumping Duty (ADD) upto $0.81 (Rs 48.6 per Watt) be imposed on imports from Malaysia, the US, Taiwan and China, the National Renewable Energy Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has suggested that the move would adversely affect the renewable energy push in the country. The decision however is a welcome one for Indian solar panel manufacturers who had earlier filed a petition for imposing anti-dumping duties on imports from these countries.
“The imposition of this ADD will very adversely impact the growth of the Solar Energy Plans in India, particularly given the fact that these plans are at a nascent stage and require nurturing and encouragement,” Sumant Sinha, Chairman of the National Renewable Energy Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was quoted by the Economic Times as saying. The DGAD, in its final findings, has recommended anti-dumping duties of up to $0.48 per watt on solar cells coming from the US and $0.81 per watt from China. Meanwhile, it recommends duties of up to $0.62 per watt and $0.59 per watt from Malaysia and Taiwan, respectively. The duty would apply to solar modules and cells assembled partially or wholly, originating in or exported from these countries.
However, warning that the move would eventually affect India’s ambitious solar program of installing over 22,000 MW of Solar Power by March 2022, the CII has now appealed to the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the centre to take a critical look at DGAD’s recommendations. CII has also revealed that the imposition of anti-dumping duty will raise the cost of Solar Power to Rs 12/unit from Rs 6.50/ unit for consumers, thereby making it unaffordable for rural consumers.
