EU import tariffs on Chinese solar panels, which came into force Thursday, could jeopardize some 400,000 jobs in China and 250,000 in the European Union, dpa cited Chinese state media as saying. China had reacted angrily to the European Commission's decision on Chinese solar panel imports. "After the [solar] tariffs are imposed, more than 250,000 European jobs and 400,000 Chinese jobs will be at risk," the official China Daily said. "Some Chinese companies have already chosen to leave the European market because of the mounting uncertainties and started to explore opportunities in other regions," the newspaper wrote in a commentary. Both EU and Chinese trade officials have played down concerns of an escalation into a trade war, stressing that they hope to resolve the dispute through negotiations. Because of the EU's decision, dozens of Chinese companies now face a duty of 11.8 per cent on their exports of solar panels and related components. The duty will remain in place until August 6, at which point it will increase if the EU's concerns about China illegally undercutting prices on the solar market have not been addressed. The new tariffs will range from 37.3 per cent to 67.9 per cent, depending on a company's level of cooperation with the EU. The average duty will be 47.6 per cent. "If we do nothing against China's dumping, European producers will definitely not be competitive," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview published Thursday. "I just want to create a level playing field." "This is not about tableware, it's about the technology of the future," he added. "We have to act." China's solar industry exports goods worth some 21 billion euros (27.5 billion dollars) annually to the EU. The country is the world's largest producer of solar panels and related products.
