CORRESP

Trina Solar Limited
No. 2 Trina Road
Trina PV Industrial Park, New District
Changzhou, Jiangsu 213031, China
Tel: +86 519 8517 6823
Fax: +86 519 8517 6023
January 14, 2011
VIA EDGAR AND FACSIMILE
Mr. Kevin L. Vaughn, Accounting Branch Chief
Ms. Tara L. Harkins
Division of Corporation Finance
Mailstop 3030
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
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Re: |
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Trina Solar Limited
Form 20-F for the Year Ended December 31, 2009
File No. 001-33195 |
Dear Mr. Vaughn and Ms. Harkins:
This letter sets forth the responses of Trina Solar Limited (the Company) to the comments
contained in the letter dated January 4, 2011 from the staff (the Staff) of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the Commission) regarding the Companys annual report on Form 20-F for the
year ended December 31, 2009 (the 2009 Form 20-F).
For ease of review, we have set forth below each of the numbered comments of the Staffs letter and
the Companys responses thereto.
Form 20-F for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2009
Note 2. Summary of Principal Accounting Policies, page F-10
-(k)Revenue recognitions, page F-15
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We note your response to prior comment 4. Based on this response, it appears that you
concluded that the customers have the ability and intend to pay outstanding amounts due should
they not obtain the related financing. With a view towards enhanced disclosure in future
filings, please further explain to us how you concluded the customers have the ability and
intend to pay outstanding amounts should they not obtain the related financing. |
The Company respectfully advises the Staff that, as mentioned in our prior response dated
December 22, 2010, we assess creditworthiness of customers before we conduct business with
them. This assessment is primarily based on historical collection records, customer onsite
visits by senior management and information provided by third parties, such as Dun & Bradstreet
and the insurance company that ultimately insures us against customer credit default. Using
this information, we further evaluate the potential effect of a delay in financing on the
customers liquidity and financial position, their ability to draw down financing as well as
their ability and intention to pay should it not obtain the related financing. Based on this
analysis, we determine what credit terms, if any, to offer to each customer individually. If
our assessment indicates a likelihood of collection risk, we do not sell the products or sell
on a cash or prepayment basis. Therefore, based on our strict credit assessment, we attempt to
conduct business with those customers we believe have the ability and intent to pay.
The Company further advises the Staff that, historically, our customers have been able to draw
down financing related to solar projects before the project was completed and connected to
grid. Beginning in late 2008, banks enacted certain limitations on when our customers could
draw down financing, generally upon substantial completion of the solar project and connection
to national grid as opposed to throughout the construction process. Accordingly, our customers
requested longer credit terms to align their ability to draw down financing with the timing of
their payments to vendors. The Company believes that such changes generally reflect a change
in the macro environment as opposed to reflecting a decline in our customers creditworthiness.
The Company will provide more disclosure based on the above response in Item 5. Operating and
Financial Review and Prospects of its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2010.
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Further to the above, we note from your response to prior comment 4 that /you/ believed that
extension of longer payment terms is in line with changes in the industry and is not
necessarily an indication that /your/ customers are less likely to satisfy /their/
obligations. Please expand upon this statement by explaining the reasons customers are
seeking longer payment terms. Explain to us the nature and reasons for the changes to the
customers financing agreements. Finally, discuss why you believe the extension of longer
payment terms are not necessarily an indication that your customers are less likely to satisfy their obligations. |
The Company respectfully advises the Staff that due to the impact of the economic recession, in
late 2008 banks started to tighten up on financing activities and extend the length of the
approval process. Further, as discussed in the Companys response to comment 1 above, banks
restricted our customers ability to draw down financing for solar projects until they were
substantially completed and connected to the grid. As a result, it took a longer period of time
for system integrators, our major customers, to both obtain bank financing and draw upon that
financing once obtained. Given the negative cash flow implications of these changes, our
customers began seeking longer payment terms. As further described in the Companys response to
comment 1 above, the Company continuously performs creditworthiness assessments to ensure that
collectability is reasonably assured. Further, our customers requested longer credit terms to
align their ability to draw down financing with the timing of their payments to vendors. The
Company believes that such changes generally reflect a change in the macro environment as
opposed to reflecting a decline in our customers creditworthiness.
The Company supplementally advises the Staff that all outstanding accounts receivable as of
December 31, 2009 have been subsequently collected, 92% of which was collected within the
original credit terms, with the exception of one customer comprising less than 10% of the
outstanding receivable balance, which balance was ultimately collected in 2010.
The Company will provide more disclosure based on the above response in the Companys future
SEC filings.
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We note from your response to prior comment 4 that you obtain insurance against customer
credit default. With a view towards enhanced disclosure in future filings, please quantify the
amount of receivables for which you have insurance against customer credit default. |
The Company respectfully advises the Staff that all of our overseas credit sales have been
insured by China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, or Sinosure, since February 2009. The
amount of insurance coverage for each sale is determined according to a rating assigned by
Sinosure. As of December 31, 2009, $232.9 million, or 80.9% of total accounts receivable, was
insured by Sinosure. The remaining balance of $55.1 million was guaranteed by letters of credit
or bank deposits.
The Company will provide more disclosure based on the above response in the Companys future
SEC filings.
* * *
The Company hereby acknowledges that:
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the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the
filing; |
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staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose
the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and |
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the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by
the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. |
If you have any additional questions or comments regarding the 2009 Form 20-F, please contact
the undersigned at +86 519 8517 6823, or our U.S. counsel, Latham & Watkins, attention: David Zhang
at +852 2912 2503. Thank you.
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Very truly yours,
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By: |
/s/ Terry Wang
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Terry Wang |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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cc: |
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David Zhang, Esq. Latham & Watkins
Benjamin Su, Esq. Latham & Watkins LLP
Patrick Tsang, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd
Chen Qu, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd |