"Today's WTO announcement and the broader trade dispute should prompt the Obama Administration to reconsider the wisdom of additional solar tariffs."

The World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a ruling today that found some punitive U.S. import duties on Chinese products, including solar panels, violate the United States' commitments to WTO rules. The WTO panel determined that important aspects of the U.S. government's findings in the solar trade dispute conflicted with the U.S. commitments and legal obligations under the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and, "recommended that the United States bring its measures into conformity with its obligations," under the Agreement. In response to the news, President of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) Jigar Shah released the following statement:

"CASE agrees with the WTO that some important parts of the protectionist 2012 U.S. solar tariffs are inconsistent with our trade commitments to others. Even more importantly, they hurt American solar workers and slow the deployment of clean energy.

"Yet the American solar industry once again faces uncertainty and unnecessary price hikes due to a new round of legal actions at the Department of Commerce. June's countervailing duty determination is increasing module prices by 14%, and the Department of Commerce may attempt to further hike rates and expand solar tariffs with a preliminary anti-dumping determination next week.

"Today's WTO announcement and the broader trade dispute should prompt the Obama Administration to reconsider the wisdom of additional solar tariffs. The Administration should work to bridge the divide between all parties involved, and help to negotiate a win-win settlement that supports growth across all sectors of the U.S. solar industry."

For more information about CASE or to join the majority of the U.S. industry in opposition to additional solar tariffs, please visit us at www.affordablesolarusa.org.