Democrats Urge Obama to Investigate Chinese Solar-Power Imports

Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging an investigation into Chinese solar imports, which they say don’t fairly compete with domestic products.

Imports of Chinese solar products have increased 350 percent from 2008 to 2010, according to the letter today provided by Bonn-based SolarWorld AG, which filed a trade complaint Oct. 19. Chinese imports control half the market, benefiting from government-provided loans, cheap land, tax breaks, and an undervalued currency, the lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, and Representative Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said.

“It is critical for American businesses and workers to be able to compete in this rapidly growing sector,” according to the letter signed by six senators and 53 House members.

A U.S. International Trade Commission panel will vote today on whether to continue with an investigation that could lead to imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties. The U.S. unit of SolarWorld, a maker of solar modules, is seeking duties to offset the practices.

--Editors: Judy Pasternak, Larry Liebert

To contact the reporter on this story: William McQuillen in Washington at bmcquillen@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net