WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department is giving itself an extra month to investigate charges of unfair Chinese government subsidies in a case brought by the U.S. unit of German solar energy company SolarWorld, a department official said on Friday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the department will issue its preliminary decision on countervailing duties on February 14, instead of around January 12 as originally scheduled.
The high-profile case has further strained U.S. trade relations with China, with Beijing slamming any move by Washington to impose duties on Chinese-made solar panels as "protectionist."
