China to initiate anti-dumping probe against EU Polysilicon

Beijing, November 02: The Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Thursday it will initiate an anti-dumping and countervailing probe into imports of solar-grade polysilicon, a material used in solar equipment manufacturing, from the European Union (EU).

The probe will be finished before 1st November, 2013 but may be extended for another six months under special circumstances, the ministry said in a statement.

The probe was made in response to requests filed by Chinese Polysilicon Manufacturers, including LDK Solar Co., Ltd. and the China Silicon Corp. in September, the statement said.

The case follows an anti-dumping probe into imports of solar-grade polysilicon from the United States and Republic of Korea launched on 20th July.

The ministry will combine the two cases and make an accumulative evaluation, a news agency reported.

Customs data showed that China imported 9,300 tonnes of polysilicon from the EU in the first half of the year, an increase of 30.8 per cent from a year earlier.

However, the average price for polysilicon imports during the period dropped 47.5 per cent compared to the previous year, the data showed.