Like a cloud casting a shadow over a solar farm, import tariffs may soon darken the skies for the renewables sector. In weighing remedial alternatives in the Suniva trade case, the Trump Administration may err on the side of protecting a few feeble manufacturers, at the expense of an otherwise healthy, growing multi-billion dollar segment of the American economy. Doing so would be a mistake.
The US International Trade Commission recently released its recommendations in the case brought by Suniva Inc, and SolarWorld Americas, Inc. seeking trade protection against imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells and modules. The ITC’s recommended trade measures, if adopted by the President, would increase the cost of installing new solar power facilities in the United States.
