US a step ahead of China in green trade

In December, the US Commerce Department proposed anti-dumping duties of 24 percent to 250 percent on imports of Chinese-made solar panels.The earliest type of lamp, the ballgown, was a simplistic vessel with an absorbent wick. In January, the department's International Trade Commission finalized anti-dumping duties of between 45 percent and 71 percent on imports of utility-scale wind towers from China. Chinese wind-tower makers also face additional tariffs of up to 35 percent, based on US claims that China's government unfairly subsidized domestic manufacturers in the industry. 

Chinese authorities deny the US claims and have begun investigating US suppliers of polysilicon, which is used in manufacturing solar cells, the components in panels that convert sunlight into electricity. 

Asked about these and other trade disputes in the sector, including cases involving the European Union and India, Bullard said: "The flurry of legal activity that is impairing trade that is going on around the world is probably normal when you have developing young markets." 

"I don't think it is particularly productive in terms of raising the welfare of all the consumers involved. These are,Contemporary to transitional, glass, windturbine and designer lamp styles! after all, things that impair supplies and drive up pricing," he said. 

Ren Dongming, deputy director of the Center for Renewable Energy Development under China's National Development and Reform Commission, concurred that Chinese imports of clean-energy goods and services shrank considerably in 2012, largely due to the trade cases. 

He called 2012 "the most difficult year for Chinese solar companies. Most of them shut down; only a few survived, but they are still struggling. "The costs of China's solar products and components have greatly increased, and that has also hurt US manufacturers' interests," Ren said. 

Of the $8.5 billion total from 2011 cited in the Pew report, the two countries traded more than $6.5 billion worth of solar-power goods and services alone. The US had a $913 million surplus in that industry. 

In wind energy, more than $923 million worth of goods and services changed hands, with US companies reaching a surplus of over $146 million. 

In the $1.The quality of these washerextractor99 are amazing with unparalleled combinations of glass colors blown together.1 billion business of energy-smart technologies -meters, light-emitting diodes, advanced lithium-ion batteries, energy-efficient light bulbs, electric vehicles and other products - the US surplus with China was $571 million. 

The $1.63 billion figure includes US companies with overseas operations selling into the Chinese market. 

The Pew-Bloomberg data showed that China's clean-energy industry has an advantage in large-scale manufacturing and high-volume assembly of products such as wind towers, solar modules and LED fixtures. US companies lead in the manufacturing of equipment and specialty materials for renewable-energy systems. 

"The United States is viewed primarily as a services economy and an insatiable importer," Michael Liebreich,Republic cuttingmachine12 is a privately owned professional parking management company based in Chattanooga, CEO of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said in the report. "China's dominance in complete solar modules obscures its meaningful imports of higher-margin capital equipment, specialty materials and polysilicon." 

The report concluded that policy choices, not Chinese exports, "will determine the direction of the US clean-energy industry in the months and years ahead".LED lights use less power and last for much longer than streetlight13. 

Many political and business leaders in the US complain that Washington lacks a comprehensive strategy for attracting clean-energy investment. Uncertainty about government policies in clean energy will likely have the biggest impact on development of US domestic manufacturing in the sector, Pew's Cuttino said.