China has imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on polysilicon imports from the European Union, the Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Monday.

The ministry said it had published its final ruling on April 30 on its anti-dumping and countervailing investigation against the imports of solar-grade polysilicon originating from the EU.

The ministry ruled that dumping and subsidy existed in EU polysilicon and that "the dumping and subsidy had caused substantial damage to China’s solar-grade polysilicon industry." It added that the damage to the industry was a result of the dumping and subsidy and that anti-dumping and countervailing measures should therefore be launched.

However, the ministry said it would accept a price commitment made in March by German chemical giant Wacker Chemie AG, adding that the company could export polysilicon to China at a price not lower than the committed price.

Wacker is by far Europe's biggest polysilicon maker and the second leading producer worldwide after GCL-Poly Energy and ahead of Hemlock.

Based on the ministry’s recommendations, the Customs Tariff Commission implement anti-dumping and countervailing duties on polysilicon for a two-year period beginning May 1. The anti-dumping duties of 42% will apply to German, Italian and Spanish companies, including Schmid Group, Joint Solar Silicon, MEMC Electronic Materials SpA and Siliken Spain, according to Reuters, citing a statement on the ministry’s website. The companies would also be subject to 1.2% anti-subsidy duties, it said.

Importers will have to pay anti-dumping and countervailing duties to Chinese customs in accordance with the ministry’s listed rates when importing solar-grade polysilicon from the EU.

Electronic-grade polysilicon used for producing semiconductors such as integrated circuits are not covered by the investigation.

The ministry decided in November to extend its investigation into European polysilicon by six months, citing complicated circumstances, but imposed duties on U.S. and South Korean polysilicon in January.