US solar industry races to deploy stockpiled panels as tariff holiday expires
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As the two-year US tariff break on solar panels from Southeast Asia ends, American project developers must now swiftly deploy the large stockpile of duty-free equipment they accumulated during this period by year-end.
This rush could fuel a surge in US solar installations but might also frustrate the growing domestic manufacturing sector, eager to see developers transition to American-made products.
Also read: US solar industry records 11 GW surge in manufacturing capacity
“The temporary tariff moratorium did its job to ensure a sufficient supply of solar modules to support the need for increased clean energy deployment,” said Stacy Ettinger, senior vice president of supply chain and trade for the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group.
Solar imports have seen a sharp increase since the start of 2023, rising by almost 14% in the first quarter of this year. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, 88% of these imports were from the specific countries that are the focus of the tariffs.
These tariffs are aimed at companies suspected of evading US duties on Chinese goods by completing the manufacturing process in four Southeast Asian nations.
“The tariff moratorium led to this surge and a glut of inventories that we’re seeing today, which has also contributed to the 50% price collapse in the market that is harming the U.S. industry,” Tim Brightbill, a trade attorney with Wiley Rein said, referring to domestic manufacturers of panels.
A lawyer representing US solar manufacturers who are pushing for fresh tariffs on imports from Southeast Asia stated that it is impractical to expect all inventory to be utilized within the next six months.
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