Made-in-Vietnam solar panels escape US anti-circumvention investigation

Solar panels (Photo: VNA)

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has recently announced it will not conduct an anti-tariff circumvention investigation against solar panels made in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia at a request by a group of anonymous businesses called American Solar Manufacturers against Chinese Circumvention (A-SMACC), according to the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the DOC, the companies' request to maintain confidentiality would prevent the agency from obtaining information it needed to evaluate the request, and hamper interested parties from fully commenting on the requests for circumvention inquiries and hamper them from commenting on certain issues that could arise if the agency was to initiate circumvention inquiries.

Therefore, Vietnam's solar panel industry has avoided an investigation against evasion of trade remedies. However, solar panel products including photovoltaic cells and solar panels are still subject to safeguard measures by the US against all countries, including Vietnam from February 2018.

Data from the General Department of Customs show that, in the first eight months of 2021, Vietnam exported more than 2.9 billion USD of solar panels, including cells, panels and components, to the US.

The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam recommends solar panel manufacturers to keep a close watch on the situation, information and next moves of relevant interest groups in manufacturing, exporting and consuming solar panels to take timely measures to respond to future trade remedies.

The agency will also monitor the export of this item to proactively provide information for businesses and handle arising problems./.