Four of the founding manufacturers of the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) purchased more than a combined $400 million in goods and services from other manufacturers and employers in 46 states in 2011, according to a CASM survey.
The SolarWorld-led coalition – which filed an anti-dumping complaint and countervailing-duty petition against China last October – states that the U.S. ‘cannot afford to lose its own industry, particularly in light of advanced manufacturing's power to generate high-paying and stable jobs and beneficial ripple effects, including research and innovation.’
According to the CASM purchasing survey, four of the coalition's seven founding manufacturers purchased a total of more than $1 million in goods and services in 21 states and at least $50 million in four states: Oregon ($86 million), Pennsylvania ($74 million), Michigan ($60.8 million) and California ($50 million).
The total helps employers cover payrolls in upstream sectors such as glass fabrication, polysilicon production and aluminum extrusion, and downstream services such as auditing, laboratory analysis and transportation, the group explains.
The survey tally excludes many economic inputs, such as interest and tax payments as well as payroll for employees. Average annual compensation for permanent, full-time SolarWorld employees exceeds the national average of $45,230 provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CASM adds.
In addition to SolarWorld, the founding CASM members covered in the survey included Helios Solar Works of Milwaukee, Wis.; MX Solar USA of Somerset, N.J.; and an additional member who chose to remain anonymous.
On May 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce is expected to announce its preliminary determination on whether Chinese manufacturers have illegally dumped products in the U.S. market and, if so, at what percentage margins.
