Hanoi, May 21 -- The US International Trade Commission (ITC) determined on May 20 that domestic solar panel makers were materially harmed or threatened by a flood of cheap imports from four Southeast Asian nations, bringing the US a step closer to imposing stiff duties on those goods.

The "yes" vote by the three-member ITC means the US Department of Commerce will issue orders to enforce countervailing and anti-dumping tariffs on solar products imported from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam that the agency finalised last month.

The vote resolves a year-old trade case. The Commerce Department cannot impose tariffs unless the ITC finds that the domestic industry was harmed or threatened by overseas rivals receiving unfair subsidie...