According to BJX.COM, on Tuesday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) concluded that solar products imported from Southeast Asia threaten domestic manufacturers. This decision effectively ensures the imposition of high tariffs on relevant equipment from four countries in the region.
The ITC's vote determined that imports of solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are harming U.S. manufacturers. This ruling marks the final critical hurdle before the tariffs fully take effect, paving the way for their implementation in June.
This ruling is a victory for manufacturers operating in the United States. Companies like Hanwha Q Cells and First Solar Inc. have accused the influx of low-priced products from Southeast Asia of making it difficult to produce and sell equipment domestically, even with the government's tax incentives for manufacturing advanced energy technologies within the U.S.
According to the tariffs calculated by the U.S. Commerce Department last month, some manufacturers in Cambodia could face rates as high as 35.21%, reflecting the country's decision to stop cooperating with the U.S. investigation. Other countries and companies will face significantly lower rates. The average tariff rate for Vietnam is 39.6%, for Thailand it's 37.5%, and for Malaysia it's 34%.
The U.S. had previously conducted a year-long trade investigation, which concluded that solar product manufacturers in these four countries unfairly benefited from government subsidies and were exporting to the U.S. at prices below production cost. The investigation was initiated at the request of U.S. solar manufacturers and began during former President Joe Biden's administration.
However, the imposition of tariffs hinged on the ITC's ruling on Tuesday as to whether domestic producers were being harmed or threatened by the imported products.
According to Sina Finance data, the U.S. imported $12.9 billion worth of solar equipment from these four countries last year, accounting for nearly 80% of total such imports.
Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YzRk--DBVENdKjDonnUppg