Beny Sulaiman, business development and commercial director at PT Jembo Energindo, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that “the concerns in Indonesia are relatively small” since the domestic market could absorb locally made solar panels, as long as the government supported this.

“Indonesia is a big country with abundant market potential for renewables. On top of that, the government has been very supportive in significantly increasing [the share of] renewables in the [national] energy mix,” said Beny, who is also an executive at the Indonesian Solar Module Manufacturers Association (APAMSI).

The trade petitions, which seek to impose antidumping and countervailing duties, were filed earlier this month by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, according to a Bloomberg article. The group includes major US-based manufacturers like First Solar, Mission Solar Energy and Qcells.

The plaintiffs allege that Chinese solar panel producers are flooding the US market with unfairly cheap goods made in factories in Indonesia, Laos and India.

The petitions’ filing has kicked off a process in which the Commerce Department has 20 days to decide whether to investigate the allegation that imports are unfairly priced or subsidized by a foreign government. Separately, the US International Trade Commission is to determine whether the imported solar panels harm domestic competition.

If the commerce and trade authorities conclude that the imports are unfair and injurious. Washington might impose new duties on foreign-made solar panels.