BEIJING, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A new round of U.S. solar

panel import tariffs on Southeast Asian producers is expected to

raise consumer prices and cut into producer profit margins, but

was largely anticipated by industry, analysts said.

The new duties announced on Friday by the Commerce

Department extend the United States' anti-dumping regime in

Southeast Asia to solar cells, from just finished modules

previously.

The tariff rise was largely in line with expectations, Citi

analyst Pierre Lau said in a note, adding that in the longer

term, the duties would encourage more production in the United

States, replacing imports.

"PRC module makers generally think the impact limited near

term, assuming much of the incremental cost would be passed

through to U.S. customers without alternatives," he added,

however.

The determination is the second in a trade case brought by a

group of companies, including South Korea's Hanwha Qcells

and First Solar ( FSLR ), accusing Chinese companies

of unfairly selling below-cost solar components into the U.S.

Affected producers may source cells from Laos and Indonesia

instead, or take the cut out of their profit margins, said Yana

Hryshko, head of global solar supply chain research at

consultancy WoodMackenzie.

"They want to stay competitive for the U.S. market," said

Hryshko. "The actual manufacturing cost in Southeast Asia is not

that high compared to the prices that they are selling to the

United States."

Chinese-owned solar plants have already popped up in

Indonesia and Laos, the key Southeast Asia manufacturing bases

not yet covered by tariffs, although industry experts say they

may be added once export volumes increase.

In the case of tariffs on Indonesia, the new capacity could

be redirected into the burgeoning domestic market, however,

Hryshko added, supported by local content requirements.

Some 80% of America's solar imports, which hit a record $15

billion last year, came from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and

Vietnam in 2023.

The Commerce Department calculated anti-dumping rates of

271.28% for imports from Vietnam, 125.37% for Cambodia, 77.85%

for Thailand and 21.31% for Malaysia, while major manufacturers

have their own company-specific rates.

The United States makes up just 4% to 10% of major Chinese

module makers' sales volumes, but a higher share of their

earnings, according to Citi.

The commerce department's final order will be released on

April 18, when the proposed duties could be revised.