Department of Commerce Updates Solar Cell Investigation from Laos

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Background Information
Earlier this year, on April 28, 2026, the Department of Commerce released a preliminary report suggesting there was less-than-fair-value (LTFV) sales involving solar cells from Laos. Following this, a petition by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade brought forward details of calculation mistakes made during the initial assessment.

Details of the Errors
Two main errors were flagged. Firstly, Commerce used surrogate value data for a year, rather than the relevant six-month period. Secondly, there was a mistake in converting truck freight values from a per-kilogram basis to a per-square meter basis. This conversion was necessary to match the values of solar glass. Due to these errors, the initial findings undervalued the weighted-average dumping margin for Solarspace Technology (Laos) Sole Co., Ltd.

Revised Findings
After correcting these errors, the dumping margin for Solarspace increased from 22.46% to 33.57%. This is a significant change, as it is more than five percentage points higher than the original figure and at least 25% greater overall. These changes not only affect Solarspace but also impact other associated firms and the Laos-wide entity involved in the investigation.

Amended Rates and Future Steps
The new cash deposit rates are effective immediately, according to the amended findings. These adjusted rates will remain until further notice. The Department of Commerce will inform the U.S. International Trade Commission of this updated determination.

Conclusion
This development is important as it gives further insight into fair trade practices and ensures that U.S. industries are protected from unfair international trade activities. The Department of Commerce has made it clear that they intend to follow these revised preliminary findings until more definitive results are found.

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