US probe could affect Thai solar panel exports

[webfact]

US probe could affect Thai solar panel exports
By The Nation

 

American manufacturers demand probe

 

BANGKOK: -- The export of solar panels from Thailand might be affected if the US administration decides to impose safeguard measures, according to a top official in the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

 

Pimchanok Vonkhorporn, deputy director of the office, said US manufacturers of solar panels had asked the US International Trade Commission to probe imports of these products, which they say have adversely affected their business.

 

The ITC is gathering information on the issue to see if it needs to conduct an investigation, which could lead to the imposition of safeguard measures.

 

Pimchanok said that as far as she knew, it was manufacturers that had been bankrupted by solarpanel imports that had filed the complaints to the ITC. So far the commission has not started looking into the case.

 

She said that if safeguard measฌures on solarpanel imports are imposed, it could affect exports of these products from Thailand to the United States. Such exports have risen sharply in recent months because many foreign companies have begun making these products here for export to the US.

 

The US can impose safeguards to restrict imports of products temฌporarily if a domestic industry is seriously affected by a surge in imports. If the ITC starts such an investigation, it must complete it within 150 days.

 

Boonyarit Kalayanamit, directorgeneral of the Department of Trade Negotiations, said that if the safeguard measures were invoked, it would be applied to all solarpanel imports. However, he expects that Thailand would be affected only slightly, as this country is not a major exporter of solar panels to the US.

 

He added that China was the major exporter of solar panels to the US.

 

On April 21, the US reportedly started investigating steel imports, citing a possible threat to national security. The Thai Commerce Ministry recently ordered its Department of International Trade to prepare information on the export of steel to the US market.

 

According to AFP, the US trade deficit drifted lower in March despite record imports from Mexico and a drop in total exports, the US Commerce Department reported on Thursday.

 

Rising oilimport values, which hit a nearly twoyear record, helped fuel the trade deficit, which has become a central focus of the administration’s nationalist economic agenda.

 

The trade gap slipped 0.1 per cent in March to US$43.7 billion, seasonally adjusted. Analysts had expected the deficit to rise by 1.4 per cent, according to a consensus forecast.

 

Total exports fell 0.9 per cent for the month to $191 billion, the biggest drop since October. Imports were also down, falling 0.7 per cent to $234.7 billion.

 

Imports from Mexico hit $28.1 billion, their highest on record, pushing the deficit with America’s southern neighbour to its highest level in nearly 10 years.

 

President Donald Trump is poised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which links Canada, Mexico and the United States, and has threatened to pull out unless the US gets a favourable deal. He has called Nafta a “disaster”.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/30314507

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-08

 

[SABloke]

"Sir, we have a problem"

"What is it? No plara at the somtam stand?"

"No, Sir. It's the Americans...they wany SAFE products.."

"Noooooooo!"

[SABloke]

"Pimchanok Vonkhorporn, deputy director of the office, said US manufacturers of solar panels had asked the US International Trade Commission to probe imports of these products, which they say have adversely affected their business.

Firstly, talking on behalf of others again

Secondly, if true, how very Thai of the US manufacturers

[halloween]

Why have 'many foreign companies have begun making these products here'?  Are they attracted by the stable government, the low labour costs, or the lax environmental protection standards?

Edited May 8, 2017 by halloween

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, halloween said:

Why have 'many foreign companies have begun making these products here'?  Are they attracted by the stable government, the low labour costs, or the lax environmental protection standards?

Or is the reason a bit more complex?

During the past two years many first-tier, vertically integrated Chinese PV enterprises have established production facilities in Southeast Asia because importing from there will not be subject to [USA] anti-dumping and countervailing tariffs.

http://pv.energytrend.com/research/US_Caps_AD_Rate_for_Taiwan-Based_Cell_Suppliers_at_4_2_According_to_Preliminary_Result_of_2014_2016_Solar_Trade_Case_Review.html

 

In the short term PV exports to the US may not become a tariff issue and leave Thailand PV import tariff as is.

While the US is the world's second-place PV market, the country’s current political climate is not conducive to the growth of its PV market. In fact both China and India may have the greatest potential for market growth into the near future.

http://pv.energytrend.com/research/India_to_Overtake_Japan_as_the_World_Third_Largest_Solar_Market_in_2017.html

 

[sanukjim]

Just like what happens when the  proposed Trumpcare and other ideas are tossed around in Washington D.C.,they have many people running around like "Chicken Little" screaming "The sky is falling" with out any evidence or investigation on their part.Most of these people remind me of cattle in a thunderstorm.

[rickudon]

Ah .... maybe they will start selling them in Thailand at a cheaper price instead .....  a win for us i hope.