Commerce Department Announces Duties on Chinese Solar Panels

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced preliminary duties of less than 5% on solar-energy equipment imported from China. Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP), the world’s largest solar-panel maker, was told to pay a 2.9% tariff and Trina Solar Ltd. will pay 4.73%, the Commerce Department said in a statement today. All other Chinese solar-equipment firms were told to pay 3.61%. The duties are retroactive for 90 days before the ruling.

For more on the debate about these duties, read "Solar Sources" from our February issue.