April 24 (Reuters) - Some of the world's largest solar

equipment makers on Wednesday asked President Joe Biden's

administration to impose steep tariffs on panels and cells from

four Asian countries as they seek to protect billions of dollars

in investments in U.S. manufacturing.

Seven companies - Korea's Hanwha Qcells,

Switzerland's Meyer Burger, Norway's REC Silicon ( RNWEF )

and U.S. companies First Solar Inc ( FSLR ), Convalt

Energy, Mission Solar and Swift Solar - are behind the petitions

filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International

Trade Commission, they said in a statement.

The group, named the American Alliance for Solar

Manufacturing Trade Committee, is accusing Chinese companies

with factories in Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand of

flooding the U.S. market with panels priced below their cost of

production. That has caused prices to collapse by more than 50%,

threatening their U.S.-made products, they said.

The petitions come as the Biden administration has voiced

concerns in recent weeks over China's massive investment in

factory capacity for clean energy goods.