US solar manufacturers may petition for new tariffs on cheap imports

By Jack Quinn, Christian Robles | 04/10/2024 06:48 AM EDT

The industry will likely file a complaint with the Commerce Department alleging that solar panels from Southeast Asia are dumped in the U.S. at low prices.

Solar panels are manufactured at a plant in Walbridge, Ohio.

Solar panels are manufactured at a plant in Walbridge, Ohio. Tony Dejak/AP

U.S. solar manufacturers are expected to file trade complaints over cheap imports this month, opening the door to a new slate of tariffs.

The complaints will likely allege that solar panels from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia are dumped in the U.S. at extremely low prices, confirmed Morgan Lyons, communications director for the Solar Energy Industries Association. SEIA, which represents both manufacturers and developers, warned its board last week that the complaints could be filed later this month.

“This is Washington’s worst kept secret,” Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, said in a statement to E&E News.

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“While we won’t take a formal position on any filings until we work through the details of the petition and its impact on the industry, we need to support American solar manufacturers before it’s too late,” she added.

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