China Slams U.S. Over Solar Complaint

Reuters ^ | October 21, 2011 | Staff

[lbryce]

- China on Friday issued a harsh rebuke of an anti-dumping complaint filed by U.S. solar firms, warning the United States not to take protectionist measures that could harm the global economy.

Seven U.S. solar manufacturers on Wednesday asked the Obama administration to impose duties of more than 100 percent on China solar imports, which they said were unfairly undercutting U.S. prices and destroying American jobs.

The controversy comes at a sensitive time in U.S.-China trade relations, which are plagued by U.S. concerns over market access in China, Beijing's treatment of intellectual property rights, and raging debate over the value of China's currency.

"If the U.S. government files a case, adopts duties and sends an inappropriate protectionist signal, it would cast a shadow over world economic recovery," an unnamed official said in a statement posted on the Chinese Commerce Ministry's website (www.mofcom.gov.cn).

"The Chinese government hopes the United States will scrupulously abide by its promise to oppose trade protectionism, avoid adopting protectionist measures on Chinese solar cell products, jointly protect a free, open and fair international trade environment, and adopt more rational means of handling trade frictions."

The official also said the United States was living in a glass house, having adopted its own policies to promote its domestic industry.

China's policies, the official said, met World Trade Organization rules and were designed to address climate change and energy security, noble efforts that the United States should support.

"The U.S. has no reason to criticize other countries' efforts to improve the world's environment, and should instead strengthen cooperation with other countries in the solar energy sphere to jointly respond to climate and environmental challenges," the official said.

[lbryce]

The statement also cited a report by a U.S. solar industry association that said the value of American solar cell equipment and raw material exports to China far surpassed its imports from China, achieving a surplus worth $1.9 billion.

"If the U.S. government files a case, adopts duties and sends an inappropriate protectionist signal, it would cast a shadow over world economic recovery,"....

By "world" economic recovery they're really talking about their "own" economic backsides. The US can not back down on the issue otherwise lose whatever credibility, face still remains. China should know better than to create friction with its biggest money machine. As the saying goes, if I owe the bank $10,000, the bank owns me, if I owe it $1,000,000 then I own the bank.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

might be time to buy solar panels before the democraps push up prices by protecting their donors

[lbryce]

Now that’s an illuminating idea.