Restraining order issued against Trump bid to close bifacial tariff exemption

October 26, 2020
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Trump had issued a Presidential Proclamation regarding an extension of Section 201 tariffs earlier this month. Image: Flickr/BCLinessmith

US President Donald Trump’s bid to repeal the exemption of bifacial solar panels from trade tariffs has been officially blocked again.

The US Court of International Trade issued a temporary restraining order over the weekend, preventing the exemption of bifacial PV panels from Section 201 tariffs on solar imports from being removed.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

That restraining order will last for two weeks from Saturday 24 October 2020, unless the court takes further action during that time.

The delay is potentially significant considering the timeframe the Trump Administration is running to in order to force through the repeal. Having unveiled plans to repeal the exemption in a Presidential Proclamation issued on 10 October, the US Trade Representative could have requested the International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation which could have been filed within three months.

While US citizens take to the polls on 3 November 2020, either Trump or his Democrat rival Joe Biden will not be sworn in until 20 January 2021.

With Biden holding a healthy lead in a majority of polls, the Trump Administration is therefore running out of time to push through any prospective legislature.

The restraining order, issued by Judge Gary Katzmann, who has proceeded over the application of Section 201 duties in numerous cases, was widely expected, and paves the way for further rulings against the US government pending a judicial challenge.

Read Next

October 21, 2025
Cypress Creek Renewables has achieved financial close on its 75MW Sundance solar-plus-storage project in Elbert County, Colorado.
October 21, 2025
An independent panel has granted resource consents for the 179MW Glorit Solar Farm in Auckland, New Zealand.
Premium
October 20, 2025
New data suggests the traditional assumptions behind hail stow modelling may be underestimating the likelihood of damage to a PV system.
October 20, 2025
New federal policies in the US will 'cloud' the country’s renewable energy sector, according to a webinar hosted by Wood Mackenzie.
October 20, 2025
Details of tariffs on US imports of polysilicon products may be announced as early as the end of this month, according to a note from investment bank Roth Capital.
Premium
October 17, 2025
According to Ronak Maheshwari of CRC-IB, there has been a struggle for US renewable power projects to secure necessary equity .

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK