EU/China: Solar panel import agreement ends EU’s largest commercial feud

The European Union and China have reportedly reached an agreement that will slow the importation of Chinese solar panels in the EU following complaints Chinese firms were dumping their products at below-market costs.

The feud, which reports say is the EU’s largest commercial dispute of its kind, reached an end when officials set minimum solar panel import prices on Chinese products, as well as a volume cap. The regulations will last until 2015.

The Chinese firms that abide by these rules will not have to pay taxes when importing their products.

Domestic EU firms including Solarworld previously lodged complaints with the European Commission against Chinese rivals for anticompetitive dumping, claiming EU firms suffered “material injury” due to the practice.

Despite the agreement, the two-year regulations on Chinese solar imports are shorter than the standard five-year anti-dumping protection rules for the EU.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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