China’s Commerce Ministry on Friday announced an investigation into U.S. renewable energy government policy support and subsidies after a U.S. decision earlier this month to probe sales of Chinese-made solar panels in the United States.
The announcement comes after a top official of China’s solar industry association said on Tuesday that Chinese solar companies may ask Beijing to launch an anti-dumping and subsidy probe into imports of U.S. polysilicon, raw material used to make solar cells, into the mainland.
“The Ministry of Commerce has decided to initiate a trade barrier investigation into policy support and subsidies for the U.S. renewable energy sector,” said a statement by the ministry on its website.
The announcement said the complaining Chinese companies argued that the U.S. policies “constitute a trade barrier against the export of Chinese renewable energy products to the United States.”
The investigation would cover programs from the states of Washington, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey and California, the statement said.
The products covered by the investigation include wind energy, solar and hydro technology, the ministry said.
