The Biden administration decided on Monday to investigate whether solar products imported from four Asian countries illegally bypass existing duties placed on China, setting off criticism from green energy groups that say the imposition of tariffs will harm deployment of solar technology and thwart efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Green energy groups filed multiple comments with the department leading up to Monday's decision and made a range of arguments, including that Auxin failed to demonstrate that operations in the targeted countries are minor or insignificant. Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said Commerce's decision to move forward competes with President Joe Biden's goal of reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and will scare away investment, as well as delay existing projects from coming online.
Biden has attempted to strike a balance between supporting solar firms engaged in the panel assembly and construction side of the industry and supporting those in manufacturing, and there has been a tension between the tariff-light approach that companies engaged in the former support and his"Made in America" manufacturing policy.