The United States’ $60 billion solar energy industry is poised for rapid expansion in the coming decade, but American manufacturers say they’re struggling to compete with low-cost photovoltaic (PV) cell imports from Southeast Asia factories mostly owned by subsidized Chinese corporations.
The Trump and Biden administrations both imposed tariffs on PV imports to level the playing field, but with demand for solar energy projected to climb from 200 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to more than 700 GW by 2033, the nation’s 10,000 domestic solar companies must rely on a China-dominated supply chain to stay in business.
When Biden imposed new regulations on May 16 to shield U.S. solar manufacturers from unfair trade practices, he hinted at raising the tariff rate quota “if necessary” to maintain supply chains so local manufacturers can scale up production and develop domestic supply chains….