The United States Reinstated Tariffs on Solar Products in Four Southeast Asian Countries

〉〉 5/16, the official website of the White House issued a notice, while tightening the exemption of imported photovoltaic tariffs, emphasizing the subsidy policy for the US local solar manufacturing industry.

〉〉 On May 14, the White House just announced that in addition to the original 301 tariff on China, it will impose tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including solar cells (whether assembled or not), the tariff will be increased from 25% to 50%.

South East Asia import tariff exemption suspended

〉〉 The White House announced in a document on May 16 that the duty-free import policy for some PV products from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, which began in June 2022, will end after it expires on June 6 this year.

〉〉 In 2018, the Trump administration introduced the current import PV tariff policy, which was extended by the Biden administration for four years after it expired in 2022. Subsequently, the Biden administration granted a number of waivers designed to ensure that large infrastructure projects in the United States could continue to be built. At that time, the tariff exemptions were double-sided solar panels, as well as some imported photovoltaic modules and solar cells from four Southeast Asian countries.

〉〉Solar infrastructure in the United States relies heavily on imported equipment. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, U.S. solar panel imports surged to a record 54 gigawatts in 2023, up 82% from 2022. Among them, imports reached 15 gigawatts in the fourth quarter of last year, more than 14.2 gigawatts in the previous quarter, and hit a record high, and also the fifth consecutive quarter that U.S. solar panel imports exceeded 10 gigawatts.

〉〉 In Thursday's announcement, the White House said it would immediately end the 201 tariff exemption for double-sided solar panels. In addition, existing contracts that can be delivered within 90 days of the announcement of the removal of the tariff exemption will still be subject to the current tariff exemption policy.