US Trade Officials delay in making decision on new solar tariffs

There were over five top solar projects sketched out to give a kick start in 2021 which include Pecan Prairie Solar Project, Golden Triangle Solar Energy Centre, Sunflower Solar PV Farm, Commonwealth Solar Project, and Happy Solar Park.

On September 29, 2021, the U.S. Commerce Department asked a few solar manufacturers for some extended information which is likely to influence the decision of the department on imposing duties on solar panels manufactured in three Southeast Asian countries.

The step led to postponing the department’s decision on all-new solar tariffs which was expected to get unveiled this week. The dispute on the case suggests that U.S. solar scheme constructors depend on low-priced imports for almost all of their supplies while the small domestic solar panels manufacturing sector continues to face unbeatable competition as it says that it cannot give neck-and-neck competition efficiently with the bulk cheap imports from Asia.

The U.S. solar project builders have appealed against any kind of commerce investigation into proposing fresh tariffs saying that the investigation itself will scare away foreign solar manufacturers they are dependent on and sabotage the most crucial segment which is responsible for conforming the nation’s climate-based goals.

Last month, the Commerce Department was proposed with a request by a disclosed group to probe if imports from countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam were unjust. The group denounced Chinese producers to move their manufacturing units to these countries in order to get away with the U.S. duties on solar-based products produced in China.

The Commerce department has set a deadline of October 6, 2021 for the solar manufacturers in America against Chinese Circumvention in order to answer a series of questions.

In response to one of the questions from the letter asking to disclose the members’ identity, the group responded its members would prefer to remain anonymous out of the fear of the judgment in the market.

The U.S. trade group expressed its disappointment stating that it was fairly disappointing to know that Commerce Department did not decline the group’s requested petition, instead, saying that the ‘additional information’ would disclose that the group’s appeal has “no case.”

There are more than 12, 000 giant solar projects in the U.S. with around 55 GW of those operating at present. There were over five top solar projects sketched out to give a kick start in 2021 which include Pecan Prairie Solar Project, Golden Triangle Solar Energy Centre, Sunflower Solar PV Farm, Commonwealth Solar Project, and Happy Solar Park. American regions with most of the country’s spending on solar projects include Texas (45 projects), Nevada, California, New York (14 projects), and Virginia. According to the data, there are more than 230 solar projects chalked out for the upcoming five years with a bulk value of $58 billion.