Many Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell makers have been mulling relocating some of their production capacities abroad to evade US anti-dumping tariffs at an average rate of 19.50%, but they should carefully evaluate the feasibility in terms of cost, according to solar cell maker Gintech Energy's president Pan Wen-whe.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has adjudged that imported PV products from China and Taiwan have been substantially detrimental to the US PV industry, and has confirmed the US Department of Commerce's final anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariffs imposed on China-made PV modules and anti-dumping tariffs on Taiwan-made solar cells.

The ITC decision is not surprising, and Taiwan-based solar cell makers are supposed to compete for orders from markets other than the US, Pan indicated. The US market accounts for about 10% of global PV demand and therefore Taiwan-based solar cell makers not necessarily rely on the US market, Pan said.