The U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar cells from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
The Journal’s Kimberly Kao writes the move is an escalation of the trade war with China, as its manufacturers have been setting up factories for years in Southeast Asia. The steep levies would effectively make the solar-power products unmarketable to American consumers. The new tariffs illustrate concerns that China could avoid paying punitive tariffs by raising exports from a growing network of factories. The duties reflect findings from a Department of Commerce probe into claims by U.S. solar producers that Chinese companies operating in those countries were dumping solar cells and panels in the U.S. at artificially low prices. The new duties come at a challenging time for the broader solar industry, as Trump has begun setting energy policies that could hit demand for renewable energy.