Feb 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday will reveal a preliminary decision on whether to impose anti-subsidy duties on solar ​cells and panels imported from India, ‌Laos and Indonesia.

The announcement is the first of two expected ⁠by the agency in the coming weeks in ⁠a trade case brought by ‌a group representing ‌a portion of the small U.S. solar manufacturing sector. Commerce ​is likely to make ‌final determinations later this year.

Monday's decision on countervailing duties will consider whether companies ​operating in the three ​countries received ‌unfair government subsidies that make American products uncompetitive. Commerce is set to make a separate ⁠decision next month on whether those companies ⁠flooded the U.S. market at prices below their cost of production.

The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade includes South Korea's Hanwha Qcells ⁠and ‌Arizona-based First Solar ( FSLR ), which are seeking ‌to protect billions of dollars in investments in ⁠U.S. factories.

The group's petition, filed in July, accuses Chinese companies of shifting production from nations that received U.S. tariffs to Indonesia and Laos, and also accuses Indian-headquartered manufacturers of dumping cheap goods in the United ​States.

The group has succeeded previously in winning tariffs on imports from countries in Southeast Asia including ​Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam ‌and Thailand.