EU ProSun says duties on China did not bring Gehrlicher's insolvency

Jul 17, 2013 - European solar industry association EU ProSun said today it was “ludicrous” to blame the anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar products for the recent insolvency filing of German project developer Gehrlicher Solar AG.

The comment was made in relation to a press release from the Alliance for Affordable Solar’s (AFASE) from yesterday, in which it says that the punitive tariffs have already resulted in job losses and reduced orders and also mentions Gehrlicher Solar as an example.

EU ProSun was the body that in 2012 called for duties on Chinese solar products, while AFASE is fighting against the levies.

Earlier this month, Gehrlicher Solar filed for protection under the German bankruptcy laws. At the time it explained that the launch of anti-dumping levies on Chinese solar products affects hugely the European market and was the reason why the firm was no longer capable of meeting its business plan and thus lost the support of its lenders. EU ProSun’s president Milan Nitzschke said that “it is obvious that not everyone will survive with a 50% fall in sales” given that the European solar market has contracted by a half since 2011.

Nitzschke again accused AFASE of being “a lobby group founded by the largest Chinese solar manufacturers and their importers” and said that the prices of Chinese solar imports to Europe had remained similar to these before the launch of the current transitional duties of 11.8%. It did not provide figures, though.

Last month, the EU decided to introduce import duties of between 37.2% and 67.9% on Chinese solar panels, cells and wafers. For two months starting on June 6 Chinese imports are subject to a tariff of 11.8%. After August 6 the full duties, which stand at 47.6% on average, will be in force, unless China and the EU reach a compromise.

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