US Leads China in Solar Exports
From PV Magazine
Bring it on! The United States doesn’t know its own strength when it comes to competition with China, according to a report just released by the Washington, DC-based Pew Research Center. And that holds especially true in the high-profile, ultra-competitive photovoltaic market sector.
The study, “Advantage America: The U.S.-China Clean Energy Technology Trade Relationship,” conducted by the nonpartisan think tank, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) finds that the U.S. racked up a US$913 million (€702.6 million) surplus in the solar sector during 2011, compared to its Asian rival.
Overall, it says that U.S.-based companies traded over $3.7 billion (€2.8 billion) worth of photovoltaic goods and services with Chinese interests during the 12 month period, while Chinese companies exported $2.8 billion (€2.2 billion) to the U.S.
Based on current trade flows, says Pew and BNEF, reality reflects that China is a low-cost producer; and the U.S., a high-volume consumer of finished products. “But underlying these truths is a trading relationship that is more nuanced, in which the U.S. has key strengths that often go unrecognized,” states the study.
