Impose Safeguard Duty on Import of Solar Cells, says ISMA

Shipments of 210 MM Modules Top 120 GW, Large-Format Products Dominate with over 90%

The association has written to the Commerce Ministry favouring the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) recommendation of imposition of 70% duty on imports of solar PV cells and modules.

The Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has demanded from the government for the imposition of safeguard duty on imports of solar cells and modules, saying it would be significant to the solar manufacturing industry.

The association has written to the Commerce Ministry favouring the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) recommendation of imposition of 70% duty on imports of solar PV cells and modules.

The DGS is mandated to investigate the existence of ‘serious injury’ or ‘threat of serious injury’ to the domestic industry as a consequence of increased import of an article into India.

It has also submitted its findings to the central government along with the recommendations regarding the amount and period of levy of safeguard duty to check injury or threat of injury to the domestic industry.

The ISMA’s letter said that, “The consequences of not imposing the recommended duty, and in good time, are very significant not only to the solar manufacturing industry, but also to the nation, considering the strategic nature of solar power to India and perpetuating dependence on China for imports of solar cells and modules.”

It cited ways to check solar power tariff rise, which is expected due to the imposition of the duty.

It is true that the imposition of safeguard duty will increase the prices of cells and modules, inherently because that is the objective of duty imposition, the association said.

“However, we are convinced that safeguard duty will not result in any significant increase in solar power tariff. Additionally, duty collected will be a revenue to Indian exchequer and can be redeployed in solar power development,” the ISMA said.

Source: PTI