The current anti-dumping procedures and the resulting shortage of Chinese goods on the European market lead to a slow but continuous rapprochement of prices.
Compared to the previous month with an average price difference of 44.4 percent between modules from Germany (representative for Europe) and China, the difference now only amounts to approximately 37.5 percent. Thus, on the spot market German modules are only about a third more expensive than Chinese modules.
A representative price survey regarding the different cell types, however, is becoming more and more difficult. On the one hand, there are just a few different technologies left on the market. On the other hand, larger remnants from bankruptcies or clearances emerge on the spot market. They can set a single price point and they are able to greatly distort the overall picture at the same time. For cadmium-telluride modules, for example, the manufacturer First Solar is the only important provider, but the company installs their modules as far as possible in their own projects. The only products that are freely available on the market are mainly remnants from former distributors. Additionally available are goods from insolvencies of failed First Solar competitors, which can just be sold at very low prices due to missing guarantees and return facilities.
Another example are modules from German production – who knows which current module type will still be available in the future? There is not much to buy right now, except closeouts and insolvency goods. After all, at least the buyers get high quality products for their money and (hopefully) won´t have to deal with an event of complaint.
When it comes to crystalline modules from China we currently would have to specify two very different prices for duty-paid goods and for undeclared goods. Since the difference seems to be consistently about twelve percent, we only list EU duty paid goods in the price index. An end to this "dual system" with all its consequences is not in sight. Although China increases the pressure by continuously taking new anti-dumping investigations, for example regarding European wine, steel or chemicals, the EU has not buckled so far. Accordingly, a further gradual increase in prices can be expected. Right now it is also almost impossible to get a binding quote from a manufacturer for deliveries in September or October. Long term was yesterday, flexibility and decisiveness is the need of the hour to snag some of the last few inexpensive modules in the market.