U.S. tariffs on solar equipment imported from four Southeast Asian countries are set to go into effect, after a government agency concluded that the imports are hurting domestic manufacturers.
The U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously in favor of applying duties on solar cells and modules imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The result represents the last major hurdle to the duties taking full effect, paving the way for collection to begin in June.
The decision marks the end of a long battle for U.S. solar panel manufacturers. Companies including Hanwha Q Cells and First Solar have blamed an influx of low-priced imports from Southeast Asia, arguing that this has made it difficult to manufacture and sell equipment domestically, even with tax incentives aimed at supporting high-tech manufacturing in the energy space. Shares of First Solar were up 1.4% on the New York Stock Exchange.
“These are critical victories for the domestic industry,” Tim Brightbill, an associate partner in Wiley’s International Trade Department and lead attorney for the coalition that led the case, said during a conference call
