Hanwha calls off request for US Section 301 probes on China, India

Hanwha Qcells USA has withdrawn its comments on proposed U.S. investigations into alleged excess manufacturing capacity in 16 economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. In a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer on Wednesday (local time), the Korean conglomerate’s U.S. subsidiary had originally requested Section 301 probes and tariffs on solar wafers, cells and modules from China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and India, calling them "state-influenced economies" that distort global markets with overcapacity. The company also urged tariff relief for Korea and Malaysia, denying state-directed solar overcapacity in countries where it operates manufacturing facilities. These requests were made in response to the Office of the USTR's inquiries about whether the company wished to provide comments specific to each of the 16 economies subject to Section 301 investigations. "Manufacturers of state-influenced economies have relocated production to Southeast Asian countries to circumvent U.S. trade remedies, and India’s solar manufacturing capacity i