Author/Huaxia Energy Network reporter Cao Yuyuan
Sprinkling some salt on a wound can often make people gasp in pain, but this time it seems a little different.
Originally, the EU's "double opposition" to China Photovoltaic is about to expire, but at this juncture, the EU has once again "turned against water". Recently, it said that it would extend the "double opposition" policy on solar energy products imported from China, and the limited price-fixing measures would be extended for at least 12 months, and decided to start the sunset review investigation on the "double opposition" measures applicable to photovoltaic products in China.
Surprisingly, when the EU once again made a fuss about the "double-reverse stick", China's photovoltaic enterprises did not have the fierce reaction three years ago, and even some photovoltaic tycoons had assumed a "whatever they want" attitude when chatting privately. The European Union wants to sprinkle salt on calluses, but it can no longer cause severe pain.
It's just that the cold facts have proved that "double opposition" can only hurt both sides, but why is the EU so stubborn?
Kill one thousand, and lose eight hundred.
In 20 10, the output value of European photovoltaic manufacturing industry reached 20 billion euros, and the output value of 20 14 plummeted to 2.5 billion euros; The installed photovoltaic capacity in the EU dropped from 24GW in 20 12 to 7GW in 20 14, and its share in the world installed capacity dropped from 74% to 14.5%.
The photovoltaic trade dispute between China and Europe has a long history.
From 20 13, the EU began to impose punitive tariffs on photovoltaic products in China. In August, 20 14, the European Commission approved the China-EU Photovoltaic Trade Dispute Price Commitment Agreement, which came into effect and was valid until the end of 20 15. But just when the outside world thought that the trade dispute would be settled, the EU attacked again.
In March this year, EUProSun (the European PV manufacturers' alliance headed by SolarWorld) believed that some enterprises in China violated the price-fixing agreement and dumped low-priced products to Europe in various ways. In this regard, the European Commission announced the filing of a case and launched an investigation in June.
Since then, five China manufacturers, including Artes, Zhongsheng Optoelectronics, Yu Hui Sunshine, Zheng Tai Solar, and Hangzhou-Zhejiang University Sonny Energy Technology, have been identified by the European Commission as having specific breach of contract and excluded from the price limit agreement. If the aforementioned manufacturers still want to import products from China to Europe, they will have to face anti-dumping duties with an average tax rate of 47.7%. The EU indicated that it would review China's solar energy products for 15 months; /kloc-during the period of 0/5, the "double opposition" measures continued to be effective.
If the overall influence of "double opposition" is repeated, "both sides lose" is the most appropriate description. Facts have also proved that trade protectionism, which violates the principle of fair and free competition, often ultimately harms others and does not benefit themselves. 20 13 After the implementation of EU sanctions against China, a large number of photovoltaic products from China were pushed out of the European market, and China enterprises suffered heavy losses. However, in the following two years, the European photovoltaic industry did not rely on trade protection to make itself strong, but showed signs of "shrinking".
The harm of "double opposition" to the EU itself is obvious. Huaxia Energy Network reporter combed the relevant data and found that the output value of European photovoltaic manufacturing industry reached 20 billion euros in 20 10, and dropped to 2.5 billion euros in 20 14; The installed photovoltaic capacity in the EU dropped from 24GW in 20 12 to 7GW in 20 14, and its share in the world installed capacity dropped from 74% to 14.5%. None of the top 65,438+00 PV module manufacturers in the world is a European company.
More specifically, the "double opposition" caused more than 240,000 people to lose their jobs in Europe, 200 enterprises went bankrupt, and the loss of industrial added value exceeded 22 billion euros.
A study by the Institute of Forecasting, a well-known independent economic research institution in Europe, shows that the European Union imposes punitive tariffs on China's photovoltaic products, which greatly reduces the demand of EU consumers for photovoltaic product installation and related services, thus reducing employment opportunities. At the same time, European manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials, components and manufacturing equipment for photovoltaic products have also lost a lot of business to China enterprises.
In fact, at the beginning, the EU should have been able to predict in advance some negative effects that the "double opposition" might bring to itself, but it may not have thought that the impact would be so great, and the positive effects were not as obvious as expected.
"Double opposition" is actually a good thing.
Just like a group of seemingly healthy people, they suddenly got seriously ill because of "double opposition". During the treatment, some patients died, and some patients gritted their teeth and survived, and then they were born again and became stronger.
After the "double opposition" fell, the photovoltaic industry in China really faced an extremely dark time.
The data shows that the "double opposition" has caused 300,000 people to lose their jobs in the photovoltaic market in China and lost 300 billion yuan of industrial added value. Focusing on the micro level, around 20 13, the difficulties of enterprises and the confusion of industrial employees can be seen everywhere. During that time, photovoltaic giants Saiwei and Wuxi Suntech also suffered heavy losses, their operations were unsustainable, and a large number of enterprises in the industrial chain closed down one after another.
However, there is a problem that needs to be sorted out: the fundamental reason for the tragic situation of China's photovoltaic industry in those years was not the "double opposition" of the EU. The "double opposition" only accelerated the exposure of many hidden problems in the domestic photovoltaic industry, and at the same time formed a strong impact.
First, the weakness of raw materials, core technologies and the "three-headed" market has laid a huge curse for the subsequent difficulties; In addition, the production capacity brought by wanton expansion far exceeds the global demand, which makes itself deeper and deeper step by step. At the same time, many enterprises focus on front-end expansion, rather than the refinement and optimization of back-end R&D and operations. Coupled with the expansion of new business, the management's energy can hardly be balanced, let alone focused.
Before the anti-Japanese war, Europe occupied 30% of the global photovoltaic market, while China products occupied 70% of the European market. The "double opposition" blocked the most important market channel for photovoltaic export in China, and many domestic enterprises suddenly fell into a situation of life and death. According to statistics, in 20 14, more than 30% enterprises in the domestic photovoltaic industry chain were dumped.
However, apart from "fair trade", only the profound impact of "double opposition" on the industry has a positive side. In other words, for the photovoltaic industry in China, "double opposition" is actually a good thing.
Huaxia Energy Network reporter concluded that "double opposition" has six major advantages: First, accelerate the elimination of backward production capacity; Second, it has accelerated the development of China's domestic market, especially the application end; Third, more enterprises began to enhance the value of their own industrial chain, paying more attention to the progress of research and development at the technical level, thus enhancing their competitiveness; Fourth, the industry accelerates "detoxification" and establishes a healthier industrial order; Fifth, accelerate the development of other global markets; Finally, it is very important that both policies and industries have a stronger "psychological maturity" and can lay out future development more rationally.
In more than two years after the "double opposition" began, hundreds of domestic photovoltaic enterprises experienced a lasting, deep and intense adjustment; The global photovoltaic industry pattern has also gone through a process of adjustment, reconstruction, reconstruction and repositioning.
Just like a group of seemingly healthy people, they suddenly got seriously ill because of "double opposition". During the treatment, some patients died, and some patients gritted their teeth and survived, and then they were born again and became stronger.
On the whole, the concentration of photovoltaic capacity in China has improved in the past two years, and the "anti-strike ability" of enterprises has also improved significantly. It is not difficult to understand that in the face of the recent "anti-water" of the European Union, domestic PV companies no longer feel that the end of the world is coming.
Don't lose your wife and soldiers again?
Some time ago, more than 30 European PV companies begged the European Commission to "wake up" and stop imposing punitive tariffs on China PV products at a special hearing held by the European Commission.
In fact, at present, EU photovoltaics are facing "internal and external troubles". Financial constraints, a sharp drop in subsidies for photovoltaic power generation, and a sharp drop in the global market share of EU photovoltaics have made EU photovoltaics "stretched".
After the implementation of the EU's "double opposition" policy towards China, the construction of large-scale photovoltaic power plants in the European market almost disappeared, and more domestic photovoltaic manufacturers invested in markets such as America, Africa and India.
When Trina Solar Chairman Gao withdrew from the EU price commitment mechanism, he said: "We believe that the current interpretation of the price commitment misinterprets the original provisions and scope of the price commitment and has begun to hinder the implementation of our global expansion strategy, especially prohibiting price commitment enterprises from setting up factories overseas, regardless of whether the products manufactured by overseas factories are sold to the EU or other regions outside the EU. This interpretation is seriously unreasonable. "
Thirdly, after the European Commission's "anti-water" and "anti-water", the quantity of high-quality and cheap "MadeinChina" photovoltaic products in the EU market will not only be greatly reduced, but also the price will increase, which will inevitably have a negative impact on the demand side.
At the same time, the solar energy industry in Europe lacks the stimulation of strong competition, otherwise it will become a flower in the greenhouse, which is harmful to its competitiveness. This has also slowed down the pace of replacing traditional energy with new energy pushed by the European Union to a certain extent, leaving several stumbling blocks on the road to increasing the proportion of clean energy use.
In short, in the face of today's deep integration trend of globalization, any move to de-globalization or differentiation between regional countries can only obtain local short-term benefits and cannot achieve long-term development. This kind of entry barrier established by adding non-economic factors will often cause losses for both sides. For the EU unilaterally, if we continue to make a fuss about the "double opposition", the final outcome may be to lift a rock and drop it on your own feet, lose your wife and lose your soldiers.
Not only China enterprises, but also some institutions and enterprises in Europe and America have begun to oppose "double opposition". The global solar Committee, a professional association in global solar, recently sent a clear message: The key for solar energy to realize its commitment to change the global energy pattern is cooperation and the elimination of trade barriers.
In addition, many European enterprises have realized the disadvantages of exclusion and the importance of cooperation. Some time ago, more than 30 European PV companies begged the European Commission to "wake up" and stop imposing punitive tariffs on China PV products at a special hearing held by the European Commission.