A coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers alleged Thursday that solar imports from Vietnam and Thailand are surging into the U.S. since they lodged a complaint contending the Southeast Asian producers were engaging in unfair trade practices.
The new allegation is the latest escalation in a long-running effort by domestic solar panel makers to curb the flow of cheap imports they say are undercutting domestic industry, and they called on the Commerce Department to review whether retroactive duties on the two countries are required.
“When we submitted our petitions a few months ago, several China-based companies operating in Thailand and Vietnam appear to have actively accelerated their U.S. solar exports, likely to evade impending duties,” Tim Brightbill, a partner at law firm Wiley Rein and lead counsel to the petitioners, said in a statement.
Brightbill said the group — known as the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee — was therefore “compelled” to file the so-called critical circumstances allegations in response the imports.
