US to consider tariffs on solar panels made in South-East Asia

Solar panel imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia account for about 80 per cent of those to be installed in the US in 2022. - Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters): US trade officials on Monday (March 28) said they will launch an investigation that could result in tariffs on solar panels imported from four South-East Asian nations, a blow to clean energy project developers that rely on cheap imports to keep costs down.

The Commerce Department's decision regarding imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia was a victory for Auxin Solar. The San Jose, California-based solar manufacturer this year requested the probe, arguing that Chinese manufacturers shifted production to those nations to avoid paying US duties in place for nearly a decade on Chinese-made solar goods.