The European Union (EU) will on Friday begin imposing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on some Chinese solar panel producers, the European Commission said in a press release on Monday.

According to the press release, the Council of the EU backed the European Commission's proposals to impose definitive anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on imports of solar panels from China.

Duties will apply for two years as of Friday.

The Commission said in a statement that "the final anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty rates will apply only to those exports from China which do not meet the conditions set out in the undertaking."

China and the EU reached an amicable settlement in July under which about 131 Chinese solar panel producers agreed to a minimum price for export to the EU.

"This is just a routine release and the EU will release the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty rates on Thursday (December 5)," Sun Guangbin, secretary-general of the solar PV products branch at China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), told the Global Times on Monday.

Sun said Chinese exporters that participate in the undertaking signed with the EU in July will be exempt from paying the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties, while exporters not on the list will pay the duties.

"The CCCME still firmly opposes trade protectionism, and we hope the EU could cancel unfair high duties levied on Chinese solar panel companies," Sun said.

No immediate comments were available from China's Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

Agencies - Global Times