China is proposing export controls on 12 of the technologies used for solar equipment, following the use of solar in increasingly sensitive industries (such as defence).
In April, Chinese officials spoke to manufacturers to warn them of potential future curbs on advanced solar panel manufacturing technology. Last week The Ministry of Commerce proposed adding PV technology to China’s export control list.
The Ministry said that export restrictions aim to “guard against the risks of technologies from running out of control or being improperly disseminated, while safeguarding normal international exchanges and cooperation in science and technology.”
The export controls will target manufacturing knowledge rather than banning export of finished solar panels, for example – meaning manufacturers outside China may be slower to improve efficiency.
China is a competitive market across BESS, PV and solar, partially due to the low manufacturing prices and fast moving technology upgrades. The proposed changes could therefore help Chinese manufacturers retain advantages in production expertise.
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