China still controls 60% of EU photovoltaic market
China cannot risk losing the EU market.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said that in 2011, China exported 21 billion PV products to the European Union or 80% of China's total PV exports. With an employment of 400,000, China's PV industry is almost totally dependent on the EU market.
The EU is the largest importer of China's photovoltaic products. Addressing trade problems through dialogues and consultation can help to maintain open, cooperative and sustainable trade relations, said the ministry.
This preference for dialogue was evident when representatives from 95 Chinese PV makers recently reached consensus on ending the PV products trade dispute with the European Commission.
The price consensus, satisfactory to most Chinese participants, will enable Chinese PV producers to continue exporting to the EU and maintain a reasonable market share under the agreed-on bilateral trade arrangements.
China said the negotiated price range will not be announced and that it is still working on quota allocation among domestic enterprises.