Supply Chain Research

The Japanese government has joined those of China, South Korea and Taiwan in filing a WTO consultation request regarding the U.S. section 201 solar power review. While an expansion of the group isn’t a surprise, Japanese exporters’ share of U.S. imports accounted for just $80 million, or 1.2% of the total in 2017. That may suggest a “point of principle” filing to preempt te future use of the section 201 procedure. While shippers including Sanyo ramped up imports at the end of 2017, they slumped in January and are well below the $434 million peak reached in the 12 months to June 2011.