China and EU: a commercial strategy that serves the environment?
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In spite of the voices of protest that it generated among the European producers, the European Union eliminated the tariffs to the solar panels coming from the Asian giant
The trade dispute between the United States and China is palpable. While Americans avoid imports as much as possible, fill tariffs on products from other countries and boost their local industries in a globalized and free trade world, the European Union decided to put an end to the 'anti-dumping' (trade defense measure that takes out when a foreign supplier offers lower prices than those applied in its own country) of solar panels and solar cells from the Asian giant.
Leer en español: China y UE: ¿estrategia comercial que le sirve al medio ambiente?
After five years of regulation between the EU and China, the solar producers rejected this measure, arguing that an 'avalanche' of these products will arrive at the 28 countries that make up the European Union. However, the elimination of the tariff will not allow a price release at all, since the Chinese producers will have to sell at a similar price or higher than the local price; otherwise they will have to assume a 64.9 percent tax.
"The Commission's decision comes as no surprise after the associations of importers have counted for years that anti-dumping measures would hamper the growth of photovoltaic installations in Europe," said Milan Nitzschke, president of EU Prosun to PV Magazine.
For his part, James Watson, CEO of SolarPower Europe, told the same website that his company "has fought hard to eliminate these duties, as we consider them a great barrier to the growth of solar energy in Europe. We are delighted that the Commission will follow its plan to eliminate the measures, while at the same time we must now have a strong industrial policy for the growth of solar energy in Europe."
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China, which in 2030 expects to expand its renewable energy capacity by 20 percent, is the world's leading producer of solar panels, followed by the United States and India, respectively, countries that have increased their tariffs in recent weeks.
How is Latin America going in this area?
Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Chile are the countries that at the moment show the face for Latin America in the generation of solar energy, placing the coffee country in the first place in the region and eighth in the world in renewable energy, according to the Index Global Performance of Energy Architecture (Eapi) of the World Economic Forum.
The exaltation for Colombians is not minor, projects have been registered to generate 12 thousand megawatts of energy, which would serve to illuminate Camp Nou for five hours in a night game; likewise, the largest solar plant in the country went into operation, producing 9.8 MW.
Meanwhile, Argentina awarded 147 projects (41 solar, 34 wind, 18 biomass and 14 hydroelectric) in 21 provinces for a total of 4,500 MW; Chile, meanwhile, went from 5MW in 2012 to 362 in 2018 and construction and planning another 873MW, catapulting it as a 'solar revolution', in addition to the sports incentive such as the Solar Race that they carry out every year from Santiago de Chile to the Atacama with solar vehicles; and Mexico, the previous year, inaugurated a plant of 2.3 million solar panels, a figure no less, taking into account that in the next three years 40 solar plants, 25 wind farms, and 65 power plants will be built, with an investment close to the 8.600 million dollars.
LatinAmerican Post | Jorge Hernández
Translated from "China y UE: ¿estrategia comercial que le sirve al medio ambiente?"
