SolarWorld and six other unnamed US PV manufacturers have filed petitions with US trade agencies alleging that Chinese PV manufacturers illegally dumped cells and modules on the American market at artificially low prices, and benefitted from illegal Chinese government subsidies.

In response to a reporter’s question on the issue, Obama said: “We have seen a lot of questionable competitive practices coming out of China when it comes to the clean energy space”.

The Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, (CREIA) – which counts leading Chinese and foreign solar and wind energy companies among its roughly 200 members – says the comment has upgraded the trade petition from a commercial dispute to a “political farce”.

CREIA