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India Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on Solar Glass Imports from China and Vietnam

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has finalized the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports of textured tempered solar glass from China and Vietnam to protect India’s domestic industry. Following an investigation, it was determined that dumped solar glass imports from these countries were causing material injury to domestic manufacturers by suppressing prices.

The duties, ranging from Rs 54,930 to Rs 55,500 per metric ton (MT) for China and Rs 47,820 to Rs 55,500 per MT for Vietnam, were imposed to offset the negative impact on the domestic market. The investigation revealed that the landed value of the imported solar glass was significantly lower than the domestic selling price, preventing local manufacturers from raising prices in line with production costs.

Imports of solar glass from China and Vietnam surged dramatically from 29,980 MT in 2020-21 to 779,017 MT during the investigation period (January to December 2023), leading to a significant decline in market share for domestic manufacturers. Borosil Renewable initiated the investigation in February 2024, which led to the Ministry of Finance issuing provisional anti-dumping duties in November 2024.

Alongside anti-dumping duties, the Ministry of Commerce also concluded an anti-subsidy investigation on solar glass imports from Vietnam. As a result, countervailing duties were set within the range of Rs 44,870 to Rs 55,500 per MT. The Ministry's investigation found that imports from Vietnam had increased substantially and concluded that countervailing duties must be levied for five years in conjunction with anti-dumping duties.

However, the imposition of these duties has sparked concerns within the solar industry, as it could lead to higher module prices at a time when the sector is already grappling with rising costs. This is compounded by the reintroduction of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) in April, which has further strained module pricing.