Producers protest US trade duties on solar cells from China (2)

"We are disappointed at the protectionist decision made by the ITC (U.S. International Trade Commission). It will reduce investment opportunities in the U.S. solar energy sector and prevent high-tech and high-efficiency batteries from entering the U.S. market," said Gao Jifan, board chairman of Trina Solar, a leading solar module company.

"Although this ruling was anticipated, given the ITC's low threshold for injury determinations, we are nevertheless disappointed that they have left the Commerce Department's tariffs on solar cell imports in place," said Jigar Shah, president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE), a coalition of U.S. solar companies.

Shah said the scope of the decision is limited to solar cells produced in China, thereby minimizing harm to the U.S. solar industry.

However, "unilateral tariffs and a trade war in today's interconnected global marketplace are unnecessary and detrimental to effective and efficient business competition," Shah said.

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