Climate Politics
Tariff Fight Paralyzing US Solar Threatens American Steelmakers
Solar developers have urged Biden to weigh the climate implications of a tariff probe. The steel industry says doing so could render trade protections useless in future cases.
A contractor installs a solar panel on the roof of a new home in Sacramento, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
For decades, American steelmakers have enjoyed a reliable shield against foreign competitors: US trade policy. Now they say that very protection is under threat from the solar industry.
Solar developers have pushed a novel argument in their quest to scrap a probe into whether Chinese panel makers are evading tariffs. The Biden administration, they say, should consider how the investigation is undermining the fight against climate change.