Trade war with China over solar technology could cut both ways

An escalating trade war with China over solar technology now seems all but certain.

A trade complaint filed last month by SolarWorld Industries Americas claims the Chinese cheat: They’re liquidating heavily subsidized inventories of solar panels and cells and flooding the U.S. market. They’re selling below cost, undermining U.S. solar producers. For that, Chinese solar products could face tariffs of more than 100 percent.

Now reports Wednesday from China say a solar trade group is preparing to ask the government there to undertake its own investigation of U.S. companies that export polysilicon, the raw material for solar cells, to China. They’re accusing U.S. companies of essentially the same thing — dumping product below cost and putting Chinese companies out of business.

By Ted Sickinger, The Oregonian

Full Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/11/trade_war_with_china_over_sola.html