July 17 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. solar panel

manufacturers asked the Commerce Department to impose

anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports from

Indonesia, India and Laos, according to documents on an agency

we site.

The petition is the latest effort by the small U.S. solar

manufacturing industry to seek trade relief to protect billions

of dollars of investment and compete with goods produced mainly

by Chinese companies overseas.

The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade,

which filed the petition, includes First Solar ( FSLR ),

Hanwha's Qcells, Talon PV and Mission Solar.