Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured
Discussions (TESSD)
Communication from the
United kingdom
The
following communication, dated 29 October 2024, is being circulated
at the request of the delegation of the United Kingdom.
_______________
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules
Technical
Paper by the United Kingdom
Contents
1
Introduction.. 3
1.1 Executive summary. 3
1.2 The importance of solar PV modules in
achieving climate mitigation goals. 4
1.3 Lifecycle considerations for solar PV
modules. 5
1.3.1 Reduce. 6
1.3.2 Reuse. 6
1.3.3 Recycling. 6
1.3.4 Production. 6
2 Value chain diagrams. 7
2.1
Introduction. 7
3 Market access barriers. 8
3.1
Tariffs. 8
3.1.1
Introduction. 8
3.1.2
Methodology. 8
3.1.3 Conclusion. 10
3.2
Broader barriers to trade. 10
3.2.1
Countermeasure Tariffs and Disputes. 10
3.2.2
HS assessment 11
3.3
Non-Tariff Measures. 14
3.3.1 Local Content Requirements. 14
3.3.2 Technical Barriers to Trade. 17
3.3.3 Regulations and standards. 18
3.3.4 Life Cycle Assessments. 19
3.3.5 Customs and Trade Facilitation. 19
3.4
Broader challenges affecting trade of Solar PV modules. 20
3.4.1 Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) 20
3.4.2 Electricity generation permits. 20
3.4.3 Conclusions. 21
ANNEX 1 – Value Chain
Mapping. 22
ANNEX 2 - Goods's categorisations into
input/intermediate/final goods. 38
List of Figures
Figure 1 - Typology of solar cell technologies. 8
Figure 2 - Proportion of applied MFN tariffs for all solar PV
module products across all TESSD members with different levels of market access
barriers at each stage. 10
Figure 3 - Potential process for taking forward HS reform
proposals relating to solar PV modules (and other environmental technologies). 14
Figure 4 - Peterson Institute for International Economics, 'Local
content requirements threaten renewable energy uptake' 16
Figure 5 – Incidence of solar TBTs submitted to the WTO, from
ePing. 18
Figure 6 - Type of TBT measures on static converters. 19
List of Tables
Table 1 - Sample of products in the solar PV value chain. 11
Table 2 - Specific product descriptions from various national
nomenclature. 13