PCC BakkiSilicon calls for trade defence on Chinese Si

Iceland's PCC BakkiSilicon has renewed its call for political support to apply increased anti-dumping duties on silicon metal from China, produced at lower prices with higher emissions, after PCC received an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) certifying its CO2 equivalent footprint.

PCC BakkiSilicon — the Icelandic subsidiary of Germany's PCC SE — is discussing protective measures on an EU level through industry association Euroalliages, and directly with the German and Icelandic governments, a company representative told Argus.

"Protective measures for the silicon industry should consist of an increase of anti-dumping duties from China," the representative said. "As well as stronger measures to comply with supply chain law requirements to prevent imports of material that is being produced under violation of human rights, work safety and environmental standards," they added.

Silicon metal imported into the EU from China is already subject to an anti-dumping duty of 16.8pc (or 16.3pc for Datong Jinneng Industrial Silicon) originally imposed on 1 July 2016, and renewed on 11 August 2022 after a request for review from Euroalliages.

Anti-dumping measures are usually imposed for five years, but interested parties may ask for an interim review provided that there is sufficient evidence of changed circumstances. Interim reviews usually concern the level of duty in force, but can also extend to injury, scope and form of measures.

Whether an interim review can be requested remains open at the time being, the PCC representative said.

The renewed political plea comes as PCC is the first silicon producer to receive ISCC Carbon Footprint Certification, confirming a footprint of 3,102.56kg CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per t of silicon metal — as produced in the reference period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. This is compared with a global industry average of 10,900kg CO2e/t of silicon metal, according to PCC, and the company estimates that Chinese manufacturers are operating far above this number.

"The material produced so efficiently in environmental terms by PCC in Iceland is rarely measured by customers in Europe against criteria such as sustainability or climate protection, but still only against price," PCC SE chief executive Peter Wenzel said.

By Samuel Wood