WASHINGTON, D.C. – With press reports indicating that the United States, China, and the European Union have held preliminary discussions on a possible agreement to resolve solar trade disputes, Rhone Resch, president & CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), issued the following statement:

"With the U.S., China, and EU now moving towards potential settlement talks, we strongly encourage governments to identify, as a threshold issue, common interests across the solar supply chain. It is critically important that potential settlement options consider not only the interests of solar manufacturers, but also solar consumers and service providers.

"According to some press reports, governments are instead focused on price and quantity regulations as potential settlement options. If true, this strongly suggests that neither consumers' interests, nor the direct linkage between falling costs and increased demand, are being recognized in these discussions. This is deeply troubling and could have the unintended consequence of driving up the cost of solar energy.

"We look forward to working with governments and industry representatives to develop a mutually-satisfactory resolution of these trade disputes – a resolution which addresses global competitiveness issues, while allowing for the continued growth of solar markets in the U.S. and around the world."

More Resources:
- "SEIA encouraged by EC's ‘measured response' in China trade case," June 4, 2013: http://www.seia.org/news/seia-encouraged-ec%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98measured-response%E2%80%99-china-trade-case
- "SEIA says multilateral negotiations important to resolving China trade dispute," May 20, 2013: http://www.seia.org/news/seia-says-multilateral-negotiations-important-resolving-china-trade-dispute

About SEIA®:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 member companies are building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org