Solar firms search for light at the end of tunnel

Companies opt to relocate plants to Southeast Asia to cut labor costs, reports Lyu Chang.

The label of "made in China", which was synonymous with the global solar industry, is in danger of fading out as a growing number of firms move their plants overseas to skirt spiralling import duties.

Hit hard by the steep tariffs imposed by the United States and the European Union and coupled with rising labor costs in coastal cities, major solar panel manufacturers such as Trina Solar Ltd and Jinko Solar Holding Co Ltd are speeding up construction of factories in countries like Thailand and Malaysia.