The Biden administration is expected to reinstate US tariffs on imported solar panels from China and other countries, according to sources familiar with the White House plans in a Reuters exclusive report.
Hanwha Qcells, a South Korean company investing $2.5 billion in US solar manufacturing, reportedly requested the reversal of the two-year-old trade exemption for imported solar panels. Qcells formally petitioned the US trade representative on February 23 to reinstate the solar tariffs, receiving support from seven other US solar manufacturers also investing billions combined.
Reuters' sources indicate that no timeline has been decided for when the tariffs will be reinstated. The move is expected to benefit more than 40 US solar equipment factories planned since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which previously lobbied for the tariff exemption, did not directly address the exemption but advocated for an increase in the amount of solar cells that can be imported tariff-free to help companies assembling American-made panels.
