中美光伏產品競爭激烈 貿易戰升級

The escalation of a trade war between the US and China over solar power components threatens to do serious damage to the American industry, its leading association has warned.

美國主要太陽能行業協會警告，美國和中國之間圍繞太陽能發電組件的貿易戰升級，可能對美國太陽能發電行業造成嚴重損害。

Hostilities rose with a missive issued by the China’s Ministry of Commerce to the United States on Sunday over its anti-dumping measures and counter investigations on Chinese solar products.

針對美國再次對中國光伏產品啓動反傾銷和反補貼調查，中國商務部週日向美方發出公函，雙方的矛盾由此加深。

“China will closely follow the case, assess the impact on the Chinese solar sector and resolutely safeguard our interests through various mechanism,” the ministry said in a statement reported by its state media.

“中方將密切關注該案的進展，評估其對中國光伏業界造成的影響，堅決利用各種機制維權，”中國官方媒體援引商務部發表的聲明稱。

The ministry added that a probe into Chinese solar cells that opened in November 2011 did little to help improve the performance of the US solar industry.

中國商務部補充說，美方在2011年11月對中國光伏電池立案調查，事實證明並未幫助美國太陽能行業提升業績。

The US commerce department said last week that it would investigate a complaint that Chinese manufacturers were using loopholes in import duties imposed in 2012 to continue selling at illegally low prices in the American market.

美國商務部上週表示，將調查一宗申訴，申訴內容是，中國製造企業正在利用2012年開徵的進口關稅中的漏洞，繼續在美國市場以非法的低廉價格銷售產品。

The Solar Energy Industries Association said that if the US went ahead with a new round of import duties hitting solar panels from China and Taiwan, it would cut off the supply of low-cost equipment that has been a critical factor in the industry’s rapid growth in recent years.

美國太陽能行業協會(Solar Energy Industries Association, SEIA)表示，如果美國對中國大陸和臺灣輸美的太陽能電池板開徵新一輪進口關稅，那將切斷低成本設備的供應，而這種供應是美國太陽能發電行業近年快速增長的關鍵因素之一。

The association represents companies working on installing and maintaining solar power, as well as manufacturers. Many of its members have benefited from the influx of cheap Chinese panels that has helped solar power compete with fossil fuels.

該協會代表從事安裝和維護太陽能發電設備的企業，也代表製造商。協會的許多成員受益於廉價的中國產太陽能電池板，這些電池板幫助太陽能發電與化石燃料展開競爭。

SEIA urged the government to reach a compromise with Chinese manufacturers that would allow continued imports while providing some relief for companies with US factories that have complained of illegal competition.

該協會呼籲美國政府與中國製造商達成妥協：允許繼續進口，同時向那些在美國設有工廠、抱怨非法競爭的企業提供一些救濟。

John Smirnow of SEIA said: “As the conflict escalates, the threat to the industry grows.”

美國太陽能行業協會的約翰•斯墨爾諾(John Smirnow)說：“隨着衝突升級，行業面對的威脅在加大。”

US imports of Chinese polysilicon photovoltaic cells – the components that are assembled into panels – face two sets of duties: one because manufacturers were selling at prices less than their costs, and one because they had benefited from subsidies from the Chinese government.

美國進口的中國產多晶硅光伏電池（太陽能電池板組件）須面對兩套關稅：一套是因爲廠家的銷售價格低於其成本，另一套是因爲廠家獲益於中國政府的補貼。

SolarWorld, a German company that owns a large solar panel factory in Oregon, in December filed a complaint that Chinese companies had been able to avoid the tariffs by using cells made in Taiwan, while keeping the rest of their manufacturing in China.

在美國俄勒岡州擁有一家大型太陽能電池板工廠的德國公司SolarWorld，在去年12月提交一份申訴，稱中國企業通過使用臺灣製造的光伏電池、在中國大陸完成其餘製造工序，仍可避免關稅。

The commerce department is now investigating whether photovoltaic cells from Taiwan are being dumped – sold at a below-cost price – in the US, and whether other solar products from China are being dumped or benefiting from government subsidies.

美國商務部正在調查來自臺灣的光伏電池是否構成在美國傾銷（以低於成本的價格銷售），以及來自中國的其他光伏產品是否構成傾銷或受益於政府補貼。

The import duties from 2012 so far have not had a very significant effect on the US market, analysts say, because of Chinese companies’ ability to use cells from Taiwan. The price of panels, which had been in free fall, levelled out last year, but that was a global phenomenon caused by the loss of some Chinese capacity and increased demand in China and Japan.

分析師們表示，2012年起徵收的進口關稅迄今並未在美國市場產生非常顯著的效果，因爲中國企業能夠利用臺灣產的光伏電池。此前價格直線下落的太陽能電池板去年企穩，但這是一個全球現象，原因是中國失去一些產能，以及中國和日本需求增加。

Chinese manufacturers’ share of the US market fell, but only modestly: from 57 per cent in 2012 to 49 per cent in 2013, according to GTM Research.

業內諮詢機構GTM Research的數據顯示，中國製造商在美國市場所佔份額小幅下降：從2012年的57%降至2013年的49%。

However, if the commerce department finds that there has been illegal competition from the Taiwanese cells and levies a new set of duties, the impact is expected to be much more serious.

但是，如果美國商務部調查發現來自臺灣的光伏電池構成非法競爭，並據此開徵一套新的關稅，預計影響將會嚴重得多。

Shayle Kann of GTM Research said: “This time, there is no value chain strategy that would let the Chinese companies avoid these duties.”

GTM Research的謝勒•卡恩(Shayle Kann)表示：“這一次，中國企業將沒有規避這些關稅的價值鏈戰略可以利用。”