Federal authorities approve a 48% duty on specialised offshore steel from China, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan, acting on an Anti-Dumping Commission recommendation. The case centres on modified torque tubes, the long steel components that support and rotate solar panels in large solar farms.
These parts had slipped through existing trade protections, allowing cheaper Asian supplies to dominate the Australian market. A BlueScope Steel subsidiary, Orrcon, lodged the complaint, arguing domestic producers are suffering as imports undercut local pricing.
Modified torque tubes are essential to utility-scale projects, forming the backbone of solar tracking systems that tilt panels toward the sun. Orrcon argued that Chinese-origin products were driving down prices to a level that represented “material injury” to Australian manufacturers.
The Anti-Dumping Commission agreed that current trade rules failed to cover these specifically modified components, creating a loophole. Its recommendation included not just ongoing duties but also a retrospective levy on recent imports.
Renewable energy developers now worry the retrospective nature of the levy will hit projects already financed and contracted on thin margins. Industry groups argue that abruptly higher steel costs could delay final investment decisions and complicate power purchase contracts.
For now, the solar sector is caught between protecting local manufacturing and keeping the energy transition affordable.
