According to an announcement of Solarworld Americas Inc., the US Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) support the US solar cell and panel manufacturing industry’s Section 201 trade case »to restore fair competition in the US market.« Solarworld Americas and Suniva are co-petitioners in the case. The Association sent a letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC), urging to vote on September 22 »that global overcapacity has produced a surge of imports into the United States that has seriously injured the domestic solar manufacturing industry.«

Furthermore, the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) has sent a letter to the ITC as well, »urging the agency to reach an affirmative determination in the Section 201 case and find that global production overcapacity has fueled a surge of solar imports to the US market, which has seriously injured the domestic solar-panel manufacturing industry,« Solarworld Americas and Suniva say.

Four commissioners of the ITC will vote on September 22 whether imports have caused, or threatened to cause, serious injury to the domestic industry. If at least two vote affirmatively, the ITC will proceed to the remedy phase of the investigation. Critics of the case Section 201 warn that the required new tariffs would drive up prices of cells and modules in the USA, and endanger tens of thousands of jobs in the solar industry.

US cell and module manufacturer Suniva Inc. filed for bankruptcy in April. German Solarworld AG, former parent company of Solarworld Americas, filed for bankruptcy in May.