Internally Bright: Government Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties On Solar Cell Components From Four Countries
India has imposed anti-dumping duties on the import of a certain type of sheet which is used in the manufacture of solar cells from four countries - China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, reports Press Trust of India (PTI).
Department of Revenue, under the finance ministry, notified the changes on the basis of recommendations received from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which functions under the commerce ministry.
A duty ranging between $537 to $1,559 per tonne will be imposed on imports of "Ethylene Vinyl Acetate sheet for solar module" from these four countries. It is a polymer-based component which is used in the manufacturing of solar PV (Photo Voltaic) modules.
"The anti-dumping duty imposed shall be effective for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier)," a government notification added.
This move is expected to alleviate the concerns of the domestic solar panel industry which had asked the government to take measures to stop the deluge of cheap imports.
CPSUs To The Rescue
To further provide an impetus to the domestic industry, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi on 6 January approved a proposal to make it mandatory for central public sector units (CPSUs) to install 12 GW of solar power projects using locally-sourced solar panels.
The scheme, which is expected to bring investment worth Rs 48,000 crore, will generate sufficient demand for domestically produced solar PV cells and modules for the next three to four years.