Home / Business and Economy / Trump's New Solar Tariffs Target Global Schemes
Trump's New Solar Tariffs Target Global Schemes
15 Aug
Summary
- Trump targets all countries with tariffs on polysilicon derivatives.
- New tariffs and minimum prices start December 4.
- Companies used complex trade routes to bypass previous tariffs.
President Trump's administration has introduced sweeping trade measures, aiming to dismantle the "Whack-a-Mole" strategy employed by solar manufacturers circumventing US tariffs. These new regulations will apply to all countries imposing tariffs and price floors on imported polysilicon and its derivatives, including wafers, cells, and modules.
Effective December 4, these products will be subject to minimum import prices set above current market rates, along with a 15% tariff. This move comes after companies exploited complex international trade routes, like one spanning 20,000 miles through Kenya and Indonesia, to deliver solar panels to the lucrative US market while avoiding duties.
The administration's previous country-specific tariffs proved ineffective as companies rapidly shifted production to new locations. The latest action targets the broader issue, seeking to create a more stable environment for domestic solar manufacturing by addressing the underlying practices that allowed foreign companies to gain an unfair advantage.
