Entrance to the WTO building in Geneva, Switzerland
Image: Benoît Prieur, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
China has filed a case against India at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the country’s subsidies for its photovoltaic sector, China’s Ministry of Commerce has confirmed.
The ministry said a request for consultations with India was submitted to the WTO on Friday (December 19). The request covers both the country’s solar energy subsidies and tariff measures for information and communications products.
The Chinese ministry claims the measures violate several WTO obligations, including binding tariffs and national treatment, and constitute import substitution subsidies, which are prohibited by the WTO. The ministry added that this gives India’s domestic industries an unfair competitive advantage and harms Chinese interests.
“This is another firm step by China to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its domestic industries, following the lawsuit against India’s subsidies for electric vehicles and batteries,” a ministry statement said. “We once again urge India to fulfill its relevant obligations at the WTO and immediately correct its improper practices.”
This is the second complaint China has filed against India through the WTO in recent months, after filing a separate challenge in October over India’s state subsidies for electric vehicles and battery production.
The WTO helps regulate disputes involving clean energy technologies by preventing local content rules, such as domestic solar subsidies, from unfairly favoring domestic green technology companies. It also ensures that environmental policies do not become hidden trade barriers.
In October, pv magazine reported that while WTO law remains binding in such cases, the organization is in crisis and its main dispute settlement authority is no longer functioning.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
Popular content
