Jump to content


Thailand moves to defend its solar energy sector from a US probe into Chinese linked firms here


webfact

Recommended Posts

Solar is still silly priced in the USA, panels 2x what the cost here.  Oil still has their grip, and all it does is hurt the consumer.  Even with gov't incentives, solar is price out of reach for many there.

 

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, wombat said:

OT...but worth noting.

This is a pic from the floods in Oz when solar electric shorts out from flooding.

 

275115563_1019226308991082_4097494166395379497_n.jpg

Wonder if they knew flood waters were rising they could of turned off the solar, unplugged, or something. On the good side the fire looks contained.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, mikebell said:

I would have thought there would be a thriving and competitive industry here, given the climate, but of course, first Thailand needs to sort out which family cartel gets the monopoly.

The solar industry is a sort of high tech industry, with the Chinese as technology and production leader, far ahead than anyone else.

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/24687/solar-panel-global-market-shares-by-production-steps/

 

I don't see how the climate would play any role here, Australia has better climate in regards to solar but is not producing anything in meaningful quantities.

Backstabbing sanctions to cripple companies won't work here as the Chinese own the whole supply chain, only tariff can be slapped, but they are merely a noise as the Chinese are by far the biggest customer for their panels themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thailand publicly bragged for two or three years how it was going to bring Chinese companies to Thailand to evade US tariffs and sanctions. Meanwhile, it would be nice if this was an American "reply" to Thailand's pro Russian and pro Chinese "neutrality." But I doubt it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What this story also demonstrates is just how fragile and vulnerable are countries such as Thailand who enjoy huge trade surpluses with the US. Remember this topic from a few days ago: 

Quote

In an unexpected diplomatic move, ASEAN has decided to delay the granting of “comprehensive strategic partnership”status, or CSP, to the US until November, according to an informed source.

 

The source, who asked not be identified, said that, at the informal ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting on Wednesday night, they agreed that the US should wait until all procedural processes for the CSP have been completed. Washington has yet to apply officially and all the ASEAN members have yet to discuss and make assessments.  https://aseannow.com/topic/1259595-asean-puts-us-request-for-“comprehensive-strategic-partnership”-on-hold/

 

Had it been China, instead of the US, who had been humiliated like that, I guarantee you would see all sorts of reciprocal "procedural processes" applied to Thai/Asean goods being exported to China (and Thailand has a huge trade deficit with China, almost as big as the trade surplus it enjoys with the US). But apparently this is the story of a small US manufacturer seeking anti-dumping justice in the US, while the solar installers want to keep importing cheap China/Asian made panels. So I'm guessing the US government will go against American interests again and likely side with Thais. Go ahead, kick sand in the face of the US, the government will only go to its knees and apologize for getting in the way of foreign competitors' sand castles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you know what the US is accusing the Thai companies of being is true, otherwise they would just say, sure take a look, we are clean.

 

its the same as when you ask to look at your GF's phone/chats and she doesnt want to show you, you know she is up to no good...

Edited by poskat
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Had it been China, instead of the US, who had been humiliated like that,

This is why human kind is doomed? Worrying about emotional stuff like supposed humiliation and respect and the like. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

This is why human kind is doomed? Worrying about emotional stuff like supposed humiliation and respect and the like. 

No, that is why China is dominating this region and pushing the US back to Pearl Harbor. The US may not care if it was humiliated but the other players in SE Asia saw it and will now react to it as the show of weakness it is. 

Edited by John Drake
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, webfact said:

In early April, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit (inset right) wrote to the US Department of Commerce and Secretary Gina Raimondo (centre) to protest a move by the International Trade Administration to launch a probe into eight large solar panel exporters in Southeast Asia including two firms in Thailand, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar, asking them to declare their beneficial ownership and details of their production processes in Thailand. The move comes after a February decision by the Biden administration to extend Trump-era tariffs which have shielded US manufacturers from Chinese competition and suspicions raised by a US firm, Auxin Solar, that dominant Chinese firms have merely set up facilities in Southeast Asia to circumvent tariffs imposed first under the Obama administration in 2012.

If Thailand is not helping China evade sanctions then why worry...and if they are helping China, well I'm sure they can find other markets to sell the solar panels...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, John Drake said:

What this story also demonstrates is just how fragile and vulnerable are countries such as Thailand who enjoy huge trade surpluses with the US. Remember this topic from a few days ago: 

Had it been China, instead of the US, who had been humiliated like that, I guarantee you would see all sorts of reciprocal "procedural processes" applied to Thai/Asean goods being exported to China (and Thailand has a huge trade deficit with China, almost as big as the trade surplus it enjoys with the US). But apparently this is the story of a small US manufacturer seeking anti-dumping justice in the US, while the solar installers want to keep importing cheap China/Asian made panels. So I'm guessing the US government will go against American interests again and likely side with Thais. Go ahead, kick sand in the face of the US, the government will only go to its knees and apologize for getting in the way of foreign competitors' sand castles.

Don't you think you wait until US officially apply before you get all emotional. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, vandeventer said:

It's all again about money!

No. It's about imagined and deluded boggieman politics.

And certainly plays easily into the hands of the the usual anti-China crowd.

Anything will do.

Edited by zzaa09
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Don't you think you wait until US officially apply before you get all emotional. 

Getting emotional is fine and well. For example, I'm absolutely thrilled with the notion that Putin has cancer and Xi has a brain aneurysm that he's stupid enough to treat with traditional Chinese medicine. I'll hop with joy the day these two dictators drop dead.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

This is why human kind is doomed? Worrying about emotional stuff like supposed humiliation and respect and the like. 

Face - It's a primitive defense mechanism. If the facade is breached, then a boss could be exposed, and loss of power and/or wealth could ensue as higher-ups in the pyramid try to substitute someone from their coterie of underlings. This is rule BY law.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.