Latest news with #Chinese-headquartered
The Star
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
US trade panel's vote paves way for stiff tariffs on many solar imports
HANOI/PHNOM PENH (Reuters): The US International Trade Commission determined on Tuesday that domestic solar panel makers were materially harmed or threatened by a flood of cheap imports from four South-East Asian nations, bringing the United States a step closer to imposing stiff duties on those goods. The "yes" vote by the three-member ITC means the Commerce Department will issue orders to enforce countervailing and anti-dumping tariffs on solar products imported from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam that the agency finalised last month. The vote resolves a year-old trade case in which American manufacturers accused Chinese companies of flooding the market with unfairly cheap goods from factories in South-East Asia. Since that time, President Donald Trump has pursued a broad strategy to impose tariffs on imported products to protect manufacturers of U.S.-made goods. The Commerce Department cannot impose tariffs unless the ITC finds that the domestic industry was harmed or threatened by overseas rivals receiving unfair subsidies and dumping products in the U.S. market. The outcome of the vote was posted in a brief notice on the ITC's web site. It was not immediately clear how each commissioner voted. The trade case was brought last year by Korea's Hanwha Qcells, Arizona-based First Solar Inc and several smaller producers seeking to protect billions of dollars in investments in U.S. solar manufacturing. "(Tuesday's) vote leaves no doubt: these Chinese-headquartered companies have been violating trade laws by overwhelming the US market with unfairly cheap, dumped and subsidized solar panels - and they continue to do so from third-party markets around the world, undermining US industrial strategy and stunting new investment," Tim Brightbill, the lead attorney for the petitioning group, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, said in a statement. "This cannot stand. Our growing American industry deserves - and now will have - the chance to compete fairly," Brightbill said. The vast majority of panels installed in the United States are imported from Asia. In 2022, former President Joe Biden's signature climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, created a tax credit for clean energy manufacturing, and more than 100 solar factories have been announced or expanded since then, according to the American Clean Power Association trade group. A top US solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, said new tariffs would actually harm domestic producers by increasing costs for panel buyers. "(Tuesday's) decision by the US International Trade Commission is concerning for American solar manufacturers and the broader US. solar industry," SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. "The USITC's final affirmative injury determination adds an additional layer of tariffs that will raise costs for the solar products American companies need to build projects and grow domestic manufacturing." (Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Will Dunham) - Reuters
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US trade panel's vote paves way for stiff tariffs on many solar imports
By Nichola Groom (Reuters) -The U.S. International Trade Commission determined on Tuesday that domestic solar panel makers were materially harmed or threatened by a flood of cheap imports from four Southeast Asian nations, bringing the United States a step closer to imposing stiff duties on those goods. The "yes" vote by the three-member ITC means the Commerce Department will issue orders to enforce countervailing and anti-dumping tariffs on solar products imported from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam that the agency finalized last month. The vote resolves a year-old trade case in which American manufacturers accused Chinese companies of flooding the market with unfairly cheap goods from factories in Southeast Asia. Since that time, President Donald Trump has pursued a broad strategy to impose tariffs on imported products to protect manufacturers of U.S.-made goods. The Commerce Department cannot impose tariffs unless the ITC finds that the domestic industry was harmed or threatened by overseas rivals receiving unfair subsidies and dumping products in the U.S. market. The outcome of the vote was posted in a brief notice on the ITC's web site. It was not immediately clear how each commissioner voted. The trade case was brought last year by Korea's Hanwha Qcells, Arizona-based First Solar Inc and several smaller producers seeking to protect billions of dollars in investments in U.S. solar manufacturing. "(Tuesday's) vote leaves no doubt: these Chinese-headquartered companies have been violating trade laws by overwhelming the U.S. market with unfairly cheap, dumped and subsidized solar panels - and they continue to do so from third-party markets around the world, undermining U.S. industrial strategy and stunting new investment," Tim Brightbill, the lead attorney for the petitioning group, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, said in a statement. "This cannot stand. Our growing American industry deserves - and now will have - the chance to compete fairly," Brightbill said. The vast majority of panels installed in the United States are imported from Asia. In 2022, former President Joe Biden's signature climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, created a tax credit for clean energy manufacturing, and more than 100 solar factories have been announced or expanded since then, according to the American Clean Power Association trade group. A top U.S. solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, said new tariffs would actually harm domestic producers by increasing costs for panel buyers. "(Tuesday's) decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission is concerning for American solar manufacturers and the broader U.S. solar industry," SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. "The USITC's final affirmative injury determination adds an additional layer of tariffs that will raise costs for the solar products American companies need to build projects and grow domestic manufacturing."
Japan Today
12-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
U.S. solar tariffs could drive Asia transition boom
The share of solar cell exports to the US from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam By Sara HUSSEIN Massive planned U.S. duties on solar panels made in Southeast Asia could be a chance for the region to ramp up its own long-stalled energy transition, experts say. Washington has announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The levies follow an investigation, launched before U.S. President Donald Trump took office, into "unfair practices" in the countries, particularly by Chinese-headquartered firms. If approved next month, they will pile upon tariffs already imposed by the Trump administration, including blanket 10-percent levies for most countries, and 145 percent on Chinese-made goods. For the U.S. market, the consequences are likely to be severe. China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80 percent of every stage of the manufacturing process. The new tariffs "will practically make solar exports to U.S. impossible commercially", said Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute think tank. Southeast Asia accounted for nearly 80 percent of U.S. solar panel imports in 2024. And while investment in solar production has ramped up in the United States in recent years, the market still relies heavily on imported components. For Chinese manufacturers, already dealing with a saturated domestic market, the raft of tariffs is potentially very bad news. Many shifted operations to Southeast Asia hoping to avoid punitive measures imposed by Washington and the European Union as they try to protect and nurture domestic solar industries. The proposed new duties range from around 40 percent for some Malaysian exports to an eye-watering 3,521 percent for some Cambodia-based manufacturers. But there may be a silver lining for the region, explained Ben McCarron, managing director at Asia Research & Engagement. "The tariffs and trade war are likely to accelerate the energy transition in Southeast Asia," he said. China will "supercharge efforts" in regional markets and push for policy and implementation plans to "enable fast adoption of green energy across the region", driven by its exporters. Analysts have long warned that countries in the region are moving too slowly to transition from planet-warming fossil fuels like coal. "At the current pace, it (Southeast Asia) risks missing out on the opportunities provided by the declining costs of wind and solar, now cheaper than fossil fuels," said energy think tank Ember in a report last year. For example, Malaysia relied on fossil fuels for over 80 percent of its electricity generation last year. It aims to generate 24 percent from renewables by 2030, a target that has been criticised as out of step with global climate goals. The tariff regime represents a double opportunity for the region, explained Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst at Ember. So far, the local solar industry has been "largely opportunistic, focused on leveraging domestic resources or labour advantages for export gains", he told AFP. Cut off from the U.S. market, it could instead focus on local energy transitions, speeding green energy uptake locally and driving a new market that "could serve as a natural hedge against external volatility". Still, replacing the US market will not be easy, given its size and the relatively nascent state of renewables in the region. "Success hinges on turning this export-led momentum into a homegrown cleantech revolution," said Yang. "Clearance prices" may be attractive to some, but countries in the region and beyond may also be cautious about a flood of solar, said Adhiguna. Major markets like Indonesia and India already have measures in place intended to favor domestic solar production. "Many will hesitate to import massively, prioritising trade balance and aims to create local green jobs," he said. © 2025 AFP
eNCA
05-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
US solar tariffs could drive Asia transition boom
BEIJING - Massive planned US duties on solar panels made in Southeast Asia could be a chance for the region to ramp up its own long-stalled energy transition, experts say. Earlier this month, Washington announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The levies follow an investigation, launched before US President Donald Trump took office, into "unfair practices" in the countries, particularly by Chinese-headquartered firms. If approved next month, they will pile upon tariffs already imposed by the Trump administration, including blanket 10-percent levies for most countries, and 145 percent on Chinese-made goods. For the US market, the consequences are likely to be severe. China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80 percent of every stage of the manufacturing process. The new tariffs "will practically make solar exports to US impossible commercially", said Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute think tank. Southeast Asia accounted for nearly 80 percent of US solar panel imports in 2024. And while investment in solar production has ramped up in the United States in recent years, the market still relies heavily on imported components. For Chinese manufacturers, already dealing with a saturated domestic market, the raft of tariffs is potentially very bad news. Many shifted operations to Southeast Asia hoping to avoid punitive measures imposed by Washington and the European Union as they try to protect and nurture domestic solar industries. The proposed new duties range from around 40 percent for some Malaysian exports to an eye-watering 3,521 percent for some Cambodia-based manufacturers. - Tariffs 'accelerate' transition - But there may be a silver lining for the region, explained Ben McCarron, managing director at Asia Research & Engagement. AFP | Nicholas SHEARMAN "The tariffs and trade war are likely to accelerate the energy transition in Southeast Asia," he said. China will "supercharge efforts" in regional markets and push for policy and implementation plans to "enable fast adoption of green energy across the region", driven by its exporters. Analysts have long warned that countries in the region are moving too slowly to transition from planet-warming fossil fuels like coal. "At the current pace, it (Southeast Asia) risks missing out on the opportunities provided by the declining costs of wind and solar, now cheaper than fossil fuels," said energy think tank Ember in a report last year. For example, Malaysia relied on fossil fuels for over 80 percent of its electricity generation last year. It aims to generate 24 percent from renewables by 2030, a target that has been criticised as out of step with global climate goals. The tariff regime represents a double opportunity for the region, explained Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst at Ember. So far, the local solar industry has been "largely opportunistic, focused on leveraging domestic resources or labour advantages for export gains", he told AFP. Cut off from the US market, it could instead focus on local energy transitions, speeding green energy uptake locally and driving a new market that "could serve as a natural hedge against external volatility". Still, replacing the US market will not be easy, given its size and the relatively nascent state of renewables in the region. "Success hinges on turning this export-led momentum into a homegrown cleantech revolution," said Yang. "Clearance prices" may be attractive to some, but countries in the region and beyond may also be cautious about a flood of solar, said Adhiguna. Major markets like Indonesia and India already have measures in place intended to favour domestic solar production. "Many will hesitate to import massively, prioritising trade balance and aims to create local green jobs," he said.
The Star
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
US tariffs drive solar boom
MASSIVE planned US duties on solar panels made in South-East Asia could be a chance for the region to ramp up its own long-stalled energy transition, experts say. Earlier this month, Washington announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The levies follow an investigation, launched before US President Donald Trump took office, into 'unfair practices' in the countries, particularly by Chinese-headquartered firms. If approved next month, they will pile upon tariffs already imposed by the Trump administration, including blanket 10% levies for most countries, and 145% on Chinese-made goods. For the US market, the consequences are likely to be severe. China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80% of every stage of the manufacturing process. The new tariffs 'will practically make solar exports to US impossible commercially', said Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute think tank. South-East Asia accounted for nearly 80% of US solar panel imports in 2024. And while investment in solar production has ramped up in the United States in recent years, the market still relies heavily on imported components. For Chinese manufacturers, already dealing with a saturated domestic market, the raft of tariffs is potentially very bad news. Many shifted operations to South-East Asia hoping to avoid punitive measures imposed by Washington and the European Union as they try to protect and nurture domestic solar industries. The proposed new duties range from around 40% for some Malaysian exports to an eye-watering 3,521% for some Cambodia-based manufacturers. But there may be a silver lining for the region, explained Ben McCarron, managing director at Asia Research & Engagement. 'The trade war is likely to accelerate the energy transition in South-East Asia,' he said. China will 'supercharge efforts' in regional markets and push for policy and implementation plans to 'enable fast adoption of green energy across the region', driven by its exporters. Analysts have long warned that the region is moving too slowly to transition from planet-warming fossil fuels like coal. 'At the current pace, it (South-East Asia) risks missing out on the opportunities provided by the declining costs of wind and solar, now cheaper than fossil fuels,' said energy think tank Ember in a report last year. The tariff regime represents a double opportunity for the region, explained Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst at Ember. So far, the local solar industry has been 'largely opportunistic, focused on leveraging domestic resources or labour advantages for export gains', he said. Cut off from the US market, it could instead focus on local energy transitions, speeding green energy uptake locally and driving a new market that 'could serve as a natural hedge against external volatility'. Still, replacing the US market will not be easy, given its size and the relatively nascent state of renewables in the region. 'Success hinges on turning this export-led momentum into a homegrown cleantech revolution,' said Yang. Major markets like Indonesia and India already have measures in place intended to favour domestic solar production. — AFP
