THE CHINA-U.S. NEW ENERGY RACE

Advantage America: The U.S.-China Clean Energy Technology Trade Relationship…

March 6, 2013 (Pew Charitable Trusts)

“More than half a trillion dollars’ worth of goods and services are traded by the world’s two leading economies, the United States and China. In 2011, the last year for which complete data were available for the purposes of this report, China exported $4 worth of goods and services for every $1 exported by the United States…China is a low-cost producer and the United States a high-volume consumer of finished products…

“…[Six trends described in the Pew Trusts' Advantage America] underscore the complexity and interconnectedness of trade relations in this sector between the largest and second-largest economies in the world…[1] Trade flows between the United States and China demonstrate the global nature of clean energy markets and the opportunity they present…[T]he United States and China exchanged more than $8.5 billion worth of clean energy goods and services in 2011…[2] The United States has a $1.63 billion clean energy trade surplus with China…U.S. exports and trade to China actually exceeded Chinese exports to the United States by $1.63 billion in 2011.”

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“…[3] U.S. firms have an advantage resulting from national leadership in innovation and entrepreneurship. U.S. companies excel in production and sale of complex, high-margin, and performance-critical goods…[4] U.S. companies are more active overseas than their Chinese counterparts…[5] China's strength is more narrowly based on assembly and high-volume manufacturing [solar modules, LED fixtures]…

“…[6] In the United States, clean energy policy is in a state of flux. Much of the demand associated with state based renewable energy goals and standards has been met. Several key federal initiatives have expired or will soon expire, such as the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, the Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee program for renewable energy deployment, and the Department of Treasury’s clean energy grants initiative…[And the] Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit face an uncertain future…Policy choices, not China’s exports, will determine the direction of the U.S. clean energy industry…”

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