Europe Faces Solar Industry Crisis Amid Surge of Cheap Chinese Imports

As Europe grapples with a solar industry crisis, policymakers are divided on how to respond to the influx of low-cost Chinese solar panels that threaten local manufacturers.

• Chinese manufacturers are poised to dominate the European solar market, with European firms at risk of disappearing within weeks without policy intervention.
• Europe's reliance on cheaper Chinese solar panels, fueled by subsidies, has severely undermined local manufacturing, with only 3% of panels installed in 2023 produced in Europe.
• European Union countries installed record levels of solar capacity in 2023, largely due to affordable imports from China, exacerbating the crisis for local manufacturers.
• Policymakers are split on the response, with some advocating for trade restrictions on Chinese imports, while others warn such measures could hinder Europe's green energy transition.
• The European Commission has rebuffed calls for emergency measures to protect the local solar industry, emphasizing the need to balance trade actions with climate goals.

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