Solar Shakeup: U.S. Tariffs Aim To Protect Domestic Industry From China Dumping

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration has imposed steep new tariffs—reaching as high as 3,521%—on solar imports from Southeast Asian nations. Announced on April 21, the tariffs follow an investigation that found solar manufacturers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand were receiving unfair subsidies from China and dumping low-cost products into the U.S. market.

The investigation, initiated last year by the Biden administration, stemmed from a petition filed by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, which represents major U.S. companies such as First Solar, Hanwha Q Cells, and Mission Solar Energy LLC.

These new duties are in addition to the existing 10% baseline tariffs introduced during Trump’s first term, which have already disrupted global supply chains and trade dynamics.

The yearlong probe by the U.S. Department of Commerce concluded that Chinese companies operating in Southeast Asia were selling solar cells and panels in the U.S. at artificially low prices, undermining American producers. Many Chinese firms had relocated operations to the region in an effort to bypass earlier U.S. tariffs.

Cambodia faces the highest tariffs—up to 3,521%—after it chose to withdraw from the investigation, according to the Commerce Department.

In 2024, the U.S. imported $12.9 billion worth of solar equipment from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, Bloomberg reported.

The new levies are expected to bolster American solar manufacturers, giving them a stronger foothold in the domestic renewable energy market, which remains vulnerable to shifting political and regulatory winds in Washington.