REC Silicon Reacts to President Trump's Decision to Impose Tariffs on Imported PM-Modules

Moses Lake, USA – The US Administration of President Donald Trump has announced that it will impose tariffs on imported solar modules in the future.

As REC Silicon, a manufacturer of polysilicon for the PV industry points out, the company strongly believes, that a settlement of all solar trade related disputes between the United States and China is the best path forward to preserve, restore and promote U.S. solar manufacturing jobs, reduce the U.S.-China trade deficit as well as promote the health of the broader U.S. solar sector including the burgeoning downstream solar development industry in the United States.

REC Silicon points out, that the company thanks President Trump and the U.S. Trade Representative for their commitment to engage in discussions with a view to resolving the antidumping and countervailing duty measures currently imposed on U.S. polysilicon as part of the Section 201 remedy announced. REC Silicon urges the U.S. Government to pursue negotiations with the Government of China as soon as possible to conclude an agreement that addresses these solar related trade disputes.

According to REC Silicon, re-opening the Chinese market to U.S. polysilicon exports is the most important thing that would ensure that high technology solar manufacturing jobs are protected and preserved in the United States.

Tore Torvund, REC Silicon's CEO commented "It is imperative that the U.S. Administration takes constructive steps to resolve this prolonged harmful dispute in the near term. In times of rising global polysilicon demand, opportunities for U.S. polysilicon manufacturers, the industry's technology leaders and the most competitive producers in the world, should be experiencing healthy expansion, not rapid contraction. This Administration was elected to support U.S. workers, and we encourage the U.S. Trade Representative to conclude an agreement to protect our dedicated and innovative U.S. employees. REC Silicon can out-compete our foreign rivals and we can do it from our manufacturing locations here in the United States. We simply need access to the global market, which can be achieved by the discussions provided for in the President's announcement."

Source: IWR Online, 05 Feb 2018