Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products from China and Taiwan Investigation Nos. 701-TA-511 & 731-TA-1246-1247 (Preliminary) Publication 4454 February 2014 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission COMMISSIONERS Irving A. Williamson, Chairman Shara L. Aranoff Dean A. Pinkert David S. Johanson Meredith M. Broadbent F. Scott Kieff Robert B. Koopman Director of Operations Staff assigned Christopher Cassise, Senior Investigator Andrew David, Industry Analyst Aimee Larsen, Economist David Boyland, Accountant Russell Duncan, Statistician Darlene Smith, Statistical Assistant Rhonda Hughes, Attorney James McClure, Supervisory Investigator Address all communications to Secretary to the Commission United States International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 www.usitc.gov Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products from China and Taiwan Investigation Nos. 701-TA-511 & 731-TA-1246-1247 (Preliminary) Publication 4454 February 2014 CONTENTS Page Determinations ............................................................................................................................... 1 Views of the Commission ............................................................................................................... 3 Part I: Introduction ................................................................................................................ I‐1 Background ................................................................................................................................ I‐1 Statutory criteria and organization of the report ..................................................................... I‐1 Statutory criteria ................................................................................................................... I‐1 Organization of report ........................................................................................................... I‐2 Market summary ....................................................................................................................... I‐3 Summary data and data sources ............................................................................................... I‐4 Previous and related investigations .......................................................................................... I‐4 Nature and extent of alleged subsidies and sales at LTFV ........................................................ I‐5 Alleged subsidies ................................................................................................................... I‐5 Alleged sales at LTFV ............................................................................................................. I‐5 The subject merchandise .......................................................................................................... I‐5 Commerce’s scope ................................................................................................................ I‐5 Scope Issues in the prior CSPV solar investigation ................................................................ I‐6 Scope Issues in these CSPV solar investigations ................................................................... I‐9 Tariff treatment ................................................................................................................... I‐12 The product ............................................................................................................................. I‐13 Description and applications ............................................................................................... I‐13 Manufacturing processes .................................................................................................... I‐20 Domestic like product issues ................................................................................................... I‐25 CSPV products vs. Thin Film solar products ........................................................................ I‐25 Part II: Conditions of competition in the U.S. market ............................................................ II‐1 U.S. market characteristics ....................................................................................................... II‐1 Channels of distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐2 Market segments .................................................................................................................. II‐3 i CONTENTS Page Geographic distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐5 Supply and demand considerations ......................................................................................... II‐6 U.S. supply ............................................................................................................................ II‐6 U.S. demand ....................................................................................................................... II‐12 Substitutability issues ............................................................................................................. II‐20 Lead times .......................................................................................................................... II‐20 Factors affecting purchasing decisions............................................................................... II‐21 Comparison of U.S.‐produced and imported CSPV products ............................................. II‐22 Part III: U.S. producers’ production, shipments, and employment ....................................... III‐1 U.S. producers ......................................................................................................................... III‐1 U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization ................................................................. III‐3 U.S. Producers of CSPV cells ................................................................................................ III‐5 U.S. Producers of CSPV modules ......................................................................................... III‐5 U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments and exports ........................................................................... III‐6 U.S. producers’ inventories ..................................................................................................... III‐7 U.S. producers’ imports and purchases .................................................................................. III‐7 U.S. employment, wages, and productivity ............................................................................ III‐8 Part IV: U.S. imports, apparent U.S. consumption, and market shares ................................ IV‐1 U.S. importers.......................................................................................................................... IV‐1 U.S. import data as requested in the Commission's U.S. importer questionnaire ................. IV‐3 U.S. imports ............................................................................................................................. IV‐6 Negligibility .............................................................................................................................. IV‐7 Cumulation considerations ................................................................................................... IV‐10 Apparent U.S. consumption .................................................................................................. IV‐11 U.S. market shares ................................................................................................................ IV‐12 Ratio of imports to U.S. production ...................................................................................... IV‐12 Part V: Pricing data ............................................................................................................... V‐1 Factors affecting prices ............................................................................................................ V‐1 ii CONTENTS Page Raw material costs ............................................................................................................... V‐1 U.S. inland transportation costs ........................................................................................... V‐3 Pricing practices ....................................................................................................................... V‐3 Pricing methods .................................................................................................................... V‐3 Sales terms and discounts .................................................................................................... V‐3 Price data .................................................................................................................................. V‐4 Price trends ........................................................................................................................... V‐9 Price comparisons ................................................................................................................ V‐9 Lost sales and lost revenue .................................................................................................... V‐11 Part VI: Financial experience