As solar imports to the US face increasing restrictions, domestic manufacturers are racing to build upstream production capability. With 66GW of module capacity chasing just 11GW of domestic cells, the supply chain crunch is reaching a critical inflection point, write Moustafa Ramadan and Joe Hennessy.
The US secretary of the Treasury, Janet L. Yellen, has said the US “wouldn’t want to rule out” protective trade measures to combat overcapacity of solar PV and energy storage manufacturing in China.
The German government is considering the possibility of imposing trade barriers on Chinese-imported solar modules and components to Europe, according to Reuters.
With the US Department of Commerce finding that solar manufacturers in Southeast Asia are circumventing duties on Chinese PV cells, questions have been raised over potential legal challenges that lie ahead and whether American project developers will be able to secure enough modules to meet soaring demand.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has delayed its preliminary decision into its investigation into alleged circumvention of antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) by solar manufacturers in Southeast Asia following a request by Auxin Solar, the company that launched the initial petition.
US President Joe Biden’s decision to waive import tariffs on solar modules and other components for two years promises to thaw what had become a frozen market. PV Tech Insights will explore the next steps for US solar.
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has raised concerns about the country’s ability to move to a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 unless there is a quick resolution to the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) solar tariff investigation.
