US Imposes New Tariffs on Southeast Asian Solar Imports

Overview

• The US Commerce Department has set preliminary countervailing duties on solar imports from Southeast Asia after finding evidence of illegal government aid.
• The targeted countries—Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand—are major suppliers of solar cells and modules to the US market.
• New tariffs range from 0.14% to 23.06%, with specific rates for different manufacturers; some duties will apply retroactively to early July 2024.
• US manufacturers, including First Solar and Hanwha Qcells, argue that cheap imports harm domestic operations and threaten investments in the US solar supply chain.
• The investigation continues, with final decisions on the tariffs expected by April 2025, which could see rates adjusted based on further findings.