EU starts subsidy probe of Chinese solar panels (2)

The anti-subsidies case involves 21 billion euros ($27 billion), making it the largest case of its type initiated by the European Commission, the European Union's executive body.

The commission started on Sept 6 to investigate whether Chinese manufacturers have dumped solar panels on the EU market.

The two cases in Europe stemmed from complaints made by EU ProSun, an solar industry group led by Germany's SolarWorld AG.

The new anti-subsidies investigation is to last for 13 months, after which a ruling will be issued. The commission will then have nine months to decide if it will impose provisional anti-subsidy duties.

A day before the EU's announcement, the United States said it will impose punitive tariffs of up to 250 percent of the cost of photovoltaic solar panels imported from China over the next five years.

The tariffs, though, will not be imposed on solar modules that are assembled in China using cells purchased in a third country.

The US Commerce Department plans to officially sign off on that order on Nov 30.

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