The U.S. Department of Commerce has amended its final determination regarding anti-dumping duties on utility-scale wind towers imported from Spain. This action follows a ruling by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and results in increased duties on affected imports. The decision impacts key Spanish manufacturers, including Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) and Windar Renovables S.A. (Windar), and has potential implications for U.S. renewable energy projects reliant on foreign wind tower components.
The dispute originated in 2021 during a Commerce Department anti-dumping investigation covering Spanish wind tower imports from July 2019 to June 2020. Initially, Commerce declined to individually assess SGRE and assigned a punitive duty rate to Windar based on “adverse facts available.” SGRE challenged this decision, arguing for a separate examination.
The CIT subsequently directed Commerce to reconsider its approach. Following several reviews, Commerce determined that SGRE and Windar should be treated as a single entity due to their close business relationship. This decision was upheld by the CIT on January 28, 2025, which then required Commerce to recalculate the applicable dumping margin.
Anti-dumping duties are tariffs imposed on foreign products sold in the U.S. at unfairly low prices, often below production cost or market value. These measures protect domestic industries from price undercutting caused by subsidized or aggressively priced imports. In this case, the U.S. government determined that Spanish wind tower manufacturers were selling products at unfairly low prices, justifying additional duties.
As a result of the CIT ruling, Commerce has established a 28.55% anti-dumping duty on SGRE, Windar, and their affiliates. This revised rate applies to all other Spanish producers and exporters of utility-scale wind towers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will implement the updated duties on future imports through revised cash deposit instructions.
This ruling concludes a multi-year legal process and reinforces the U.S. government’s commitment to enforcing anti-dumping measures in the clean energy sector. While intended to prevent unfair trade practices, the decision may increase costs for U.S. wind developers who rely on imported components, potentially impacting project timelines and budgets.
