Biden Solar-Tariff Exemption Challenged by US Panel Makers
- Biden paused new duties on solar imports through early June
- US manufacturers challenge the tariff holiday in trade court
Biden ordered a pause in panel tariffs for two years to sustain domestic renewable power development.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/BloombergA pair of US solar manufacturers challenged the Biden administration’s moratorium blocking tariffs on some panels imported from Southeast Asia through early June, opening a new risk for a sector already grappling with supply-chain obstacles.
The little-noticed challenge, filed last week in the US Court of International Trade, takes aim at President Joe Biden’s move to neutralize a trade threat that had slowed panel imports from the region. It follows the US Commerce Department’s August conclusion that some Chinese solar manufacturers have dodged 11-year-old anti-dumping and countervailing duties by assembling equipment in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam — countries that provide the bulk of the US solar supply.