China's photovoltaic (PV) industry issued a statement on May 21, opposing the second U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on Chinese PV products.

Representatives from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, China Renewable Energy Industry Association, China PV Industry Alliance and major manufacturers including Yingli Solar and Trina Solar, pushed down a symbolic "wall of trade barriers" at a press conference in Shanghai on May 21.

The joint statement called for the United States and China to solve the disputes through negotiations.

Chinese PV products are well received the world over for their low cost and efficiency, high quality and comprehensive after-sales services, and the industry has no need whatsoever to engage in activities involving dumping and illegal subsidies, according to the statement.

Trade protectionism seriously hinders industrial development and will affect the development of the U.S. real economy as well as its employment levels, it said.

On February 14, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined an affirmative indication regarding injury to the U.S. industry as part of the new anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions against PV products from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

It was the second U.S. investigation against Chinese PV products, counting a similar probe in 2011, and it has seriously affected the Chinese PV industry and hindered the development of the U.S. PV application market.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is expected to release the preliminary countervailing duty investigation results on June 2 and the preliminary anti-dumping investigation results on July 28, before releasing the final results on December 11. The USITC will determine whether or not to levy taxes on January 26, 2015.