EU duties on Chinese solar panels

The EU's trade chief, Karel de Gucht, may ask for punitive import duties to be placed on solar panels from China later on Wednesday. The dumping investigation on Chinese imports came after EU producers complained Chinese companies were dominating the market.

China is the European Union's second largest trading partner. Some importers and installers in the EU support cheap panel imports from China. According to EU regulations, duties can only be levied under two conditions-- if dumping is proven along with the actual damage it has caused to businesses.

Some Chinese experts say they believe further studies would show EU commissioners that the duties are not in the interests of most solar companies in the EU. And some EU officials say the move could backfire.