The United States was exposed to the release of Chinese photovoltaic products

 According to an exclusive report from Reuters on the 6th, White House officials confirmed on the same day that after several months of stalemate, the United States began to release solar panels imported from China, and relevant Chinese companies also confirmed that there were signs of "thawing". The interviewed scholars told the "Global Times" reporter on the 7th that the production capacity of the United States cannot meet its own needs, and it is inseparable from related Chinese products. Developed countries and developing countries should jointly address climate change, and the optimal allocation of resources on a global scale is the best option.

Reuters reported that Podesta, White House senior adviser on clean energy affairs, confirmed on the 6th during an international energy conference in Houston that the number of solar panels imported by the United States from China has increased. "With clearer guidelines on the rules, we're seeing more goods coming through (customs)," he said, without elaborating on the number of solar panels that have cleared recently. According to Reuters, it is a relief for Chinese suppliers to finally enter the lucrative US market after a long impasse. This includes Trina Solar. A U.S. spokesman for the company said that more than 900 megawatts of solar panels have been cleared in the U.S. over the past four months, with less than 1% of those products held up for inspection, enough to power more than 150,000 homes. It is reported that the shipment of JinkoSolar, another Chinese photovoltaic cell producer, has also been released from detention.

According to the US "Wall Street Journal" report, the United States hardly produces any components needed for solar energy, while China, which can produce solar modules at a lower cost, controls more than 80% of the supply chain and dominates the production of solar panels and other important equipment. Production. According to Reuters, restrictions on the import of Chinese-made solar panels have led to a forced freeze in the construction of solar energy projects in the United States, which has posed a risk to the Biden administration's clean energy and climate change goals. The customs clearance of Chinese products can help alleviate the delay in the development of related projects in the United States.

On June 21, 2022, the so-called "Prevention of Forced Uyghur Labor Act" signed by US President Biden came into effect. The law bans the import of goods from China's Xinjiang region without providing valid supporting documents. As a result, U.S. Customs and Border Protection unreasonably seized solar energy equipment imported from China in the name of "Xinjiang Human Rights", causing a large number of photovoltaic spare parts to be stranded. According to Reuters, as of October last year, more than 1,000 batches of solar modules worth hundreds of millions of dollars had been backlogged at U.S. ports. According to industry sources, these products are mainly produced by Trina Solar, JinkoSolar and Longi Green Energy, and the supply of these Chinese companies accounts for about 1/3 of the solar panel supply in the United States.

The Chinese side has repeatedly sternly refuted the US's implementation of the evil laws related to Xinjiang. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously responded that the United States has formulated and implemented Xinjiang-related evil laws based on lies, which seriously interferes with the normal trade of photovoltaic products between China and the United States, seriously violates market laws and international economic and trade rules, and seriously damages the stability of the global photovoltaic industry chain supply chain and the global economy. Efforts to tackle climate change will ultimately harm their own interests.

The "Inflation Reduction Act" passed by the Biden administration last year stated that it will invest about US$430 billion in areas such as climate and clean energy in the next ten years. U.S. Republican lawmakers have warned the Biden administration that the implementation of clean energy goals should not ignore import restrictions on Chinese photovoltaic products. Facts have proved that the unreasonable suppression by the United States is indeed shooting itself in the foot. According to the "Nikkei News Network", as trade restrictions on China hinder the import of key low-cost spare parts and materials for photovoltaic equipment, the new installed capacity of solar energy in the United States in 2022 is estimated to be 23% lower than the previous year.

Lin Boqiang, dean of the China Energy Policy Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times reporter on the 7th that the reason for the United States to release Chinese solar panels is very simple, that is, without Chinese solar panels, the United States will find it difficult to achieve its own renewable energy development goals . "'Can't compete and can't do without' is the reason why the US loves and hates Chinese solar products. In fact, US manufacturers can't compete with Chinese companies. Both are similar in quality and technology, but Chinese products are much cheaper." Lin Boqiang According to the analysis, restricting Chinese companies is essentially to protect the domestic industry in the United States, and the purpose of the Biden administration to pass the "Inflation Reduction Act" is also to try to contain China in all aspects. However, this kind of containment is "unrealistic" in the fields of renewable energy and climate change, because of its high cost and complicated process, and it is urgent to deal with these issues, which should be solved jointly by developed countries and developing countries. The optimal allocation of resources is the best option.

Bai Ming, a member of the Academic Degrees Committee of the Ministry of Commerce, said in an interview with a reporter from the Global Times on the 7th that energy conservation and emission reduction are the common pursuit of the whole world. Unlike the Trump administration, the Biden administration emphasizes green development. But he also reminded that the release is not "once and for all", and the United States will continue to contain and suppress Chinese companies in the future.