Steelworkers file 5,800-page petition, picking fight with China over wind industry
December 29th 2010 · 0 Comments
WTO Wind Industry Throwdown: U.S. vs. China
The U.S. Trade Representative cries foul on China’s wind subsidies.
ANDREW KRULEWITZ | greentechmedia.com
DECEMBER 28, 2010
China is now the world’s largest wind power market, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. In the very near future, China will also surpass the U.S. as the global leader in installed capacity.
The United States has expressed its excitement for China’s clean energy progress by requesting dispute settlement consultations through the World Trade Organization (WTO). This recent dispute stems from a 5,800-page petition filed by the United Steelworkers (USW) that claims, “China has utilized hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, performance requirements, preferential practices and other trade-illegal activities to advance its domination of the sector.”
The solar aspect of this dispute is covered here. While China maintains their policies are WTO-compliant, American companies claim they are still being shut out of the big red sandbox.
Two programs targeted by the USW petition, ‘Ride the Wind’ and the ‘Export Research and Development Fund,’ have been discontinued. China has also agreed to amend requirements that foreign enterprises have experience supplying equipment to wind power projects in China and will now recognize work completed outside China as eligible experience. China has also relaxed some domestic content requirements. It seems China is being relatively amenable to the demands of the U.S., so why file the complaint?
Read more @ Greentech Media.
Tags: China, Steelworkers, trade war, United Steelworkers, USW, WTO
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