India slaps anti-dumping duty on east Asian EVA sheets - SolarStar

Mumbai-based solar manufacturer RenewSys’ petition for anti-dumping (AD) duties to be applied to solar ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA  ) sheets imported to India from east Asia has convinced the authorities, who will apply a tariff of $537-1,559/metric ton (MT).

An investigation by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) – a unit of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry – found the imposition of a duty was required to offset injury caused by EVA sheet imports from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia Thail.

However, having found imports from South Korea mostly comprised EVA resins – a raw material for EVA sheets – the DGTR excluded Korean products from the list of imports affected.

The duty will be imposed for five years from the date of notification of the decision which will be issued by the government.

According to the petition, there are only four solar EVA sheet makers in India: RenewSys India, Vishakha Renewables, Allied Glasses Brij Foot Care. RenewSys is the largest accounts for around 71% of domestic production.

No supply dem gap

In its investigation, the DGTR found the “solar EVA sheets produced by the domestic industry those imported from the subject countries are comparable in terms of physical chemical characteristics; manufacturing process technology; functions uses; product specifications; pricing; distribution marketing; tariff classification of the goods … The two are technically commercially substitutable.”

RenewSys said “the claim of the interested parties [importers, developers others] regarding [a] dem-supply gap in the country is completely baseless. The total dem of the subject goods in India is 10,396 MT while the petitioner alone has a capacity of 6,267 MT. Further, the other Indian producers – Vishakha Renewable, Allied Glass Brij Foot Care – have capacities of 6,267 MT, 3,133 MT 1,050 MT, respectively. In addition to that, another domestic producer – Lucent Clean Energy – has begun its operations in December 2017. Clearly, Indian producers have the capacity to meet the total dem in the country.”

EVA sheets are a polymer-based component used in the manufacturing of PV modules  . They are used to seal in solar cells by supplying adhesive cushioning functions. The sheets are one of the essential components that keep glass, cells backsheets integrated support modules mechanically during their service lifetime.