Wacker Extends China Polysilicon Agreement
Wacker Chemie has agreed to extend its polysilicon price agreement with China as the country’s Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) announces a review of its anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on European imports. Wacker negotiated a minimum import price (MIP) agreement directly with Mofcom in 2014, under which it agreed to refrain from selling polysilicon in China below a specified minimum price. In turn, Mofcom agreed to waive duties for the German firm, Europe’s largest manufacturer of the material.
The deal was struck at a time when Mofcom was imposing heavy duties on European and US polysilicon makers, which have kept most Western firms out of the Chinese market. Mofcom said it would conduct a one-year review of import duties on European polysilicon, to be completed by Apr. 30, 2017. Duties remain in place while the review is underway.
Wacker CEO Rudolf Staudigl said: “The current ruling’s extension means that we can continue supplying our high-quality material at competitive prices to our Chinese customers who need it to produce highly efficient solar modules.”
According to Taiwanese publication EnergyTrend, roughly a quarter of China’s polysilicon imports come from Germany. China’s action on polysilicon was largely seen as retribution after the US and Europe imposed tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic products. Import duties on US material will stay in place through 2019.
