Hanwha Q CELLS is one of the manufacturers exempted from the new rules. Source: Hanwha Q CELLS.

Punitive trade duties will now be applied to Chinese cells and modules shipped through Malaysia and Taiwan, the European Commission has confirmed.

The new measures come into force today, 12 February, following their publication in the official journal of the EU.

The commission decided, following an investigation, to impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties of 53.4% and 11.5% to Malaysian and Taiwanese firms that were judged to be enabling Chinese manufactured products to enter the EU with an alternate origin.

National customs and revenue organisations can pursue backdated duties from May 2015 onwards.

Some estimates suggest that as much as 16% of all modules imported into Europe since that date could be impacted leaving a bill running into millions of euros.

PV Tech understands that member states are taking differing approaches to recouping the monies with some only willing to invoice the first importer and others more aggressively pursuing the duties right along the value chain including the end customer.

Genuine manufacturers based in Malaysia and Taiwan will not be affected.

The following companies are exempted from the measures:

Malaysia

AUO - SunPower Sdn. Bhd.

Flextronics Shah Alam SDN. BHD

Hanwha Q CELLS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Panasonic Energy Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

TS Solartech Sdn. Bhd.

Taiwan

ANJI Technology Co., Ltd.

AU Optronics Corporation

Big Sun Energy Technology Inc.

EEPV Corp.

E-TON Solar Tech. Co., Ltd.

Gintech Energy Corporation

Gintung Energy Corporation

Inventec Energy Corporation

Inventec Solar Energy Corporation

LOF Solar Corp.

Ming Hwei Energy Co., Ltd.

Motech Industries, Inc.

Neo Solar Power Corporation

Perfect Source Technology Corp.

Ritek Corporation

Sino-American Silicon Products Inc.

Solartech Energy Corp.

Sunengine Corporation Ltd.

Topcell International Co.,

TSEC Corporation

Win Win Precision Technology Co., Ltd.

The following companies were investigated but not exempted:



Malaysia

Eco Future Manufacturer Industry (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Promelight Technology (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Sun M Energy Sdn. Bhd.

Taiwan

AblyTek Co., Ltd

Universal Hardware Corporation