The Biden administration has announced that it will no longer exempt certain utility-scale solar imports from tariffs and will begin imposing duties on solar imports from four Asian countries. This decision is part of a broader effort to boost domestic solar manufacturing and address unfair trade practices, particularly by China.
White House officials, including climate advisers Ali Zaidi and John Podesta, highlighted these actions on a call with reporters. They emphasized that these moves are part of a series of measures aimed at reducing reliance on China in the clean energy technology sector. These steps are being taken following the authorization of billions of dollars in clean energy and climate spending under the Inflation Reduction Act, with the goal of stimulating new domestic production.
The Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have led to a significant expansion of U.S. manufacturing capacity in clean energy. These recent announcements are intended to strengthen the resilience and robustness of the global supply chain in this sector.
Earlier in the week, tariffs on various Chinese-made clean energy products were increased, with a particular focus on solar products. President Biden directed the U.S. Trade Representative to double tariffs on Chinese-made solar wafer, cell, and module imports.
Specifically, the Thursday announcement will end the exclusion of bifacial solar panels from tariffs. This exclusion was initially granted by former President Donald Trump in 2019 due to a lack of domestic manufacturing capacity. However, the surge in imports of these panels in recent years has led to concerns about unfair competition for U.S. manufacturers.
Additionally, the Biden administration will lift a 24-month pause on tariffs on solar cell and module imports from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These tariffs were initially delayed to support domestic developers while manufacturing capacity was ramped up.
Since Biden took office, U.S. solar manufacturers have announced significant investments in the solar supply chain, with enough planned investment to power millions of homes. Solar deployment has also doubled during Biden’s first term, with a record high of new installations in 2023.
