US imposes new duties on solar imports from South-east Asia

WASHINGTON – The US set new duties on solar imports from four South-east Asian nations that together provide the country with the bulk of its panels.

The decision is the culmination of a yearlong trade probe that found solar manufacturers in South-east Asia are unfairly benefiting from government subsidies and are selling their exports to the US at rates lower than the cost of production. The investigation was sought by domestic solar manufacturers and initiated under former president Joe Biden.

While the duties on solar cells and panels completed in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are a clear win for manufacturers based in the US, they threaten to raise development costs for a renewable power sector already facing policy and economic headwinds. US President Donald Trump is attempting to boost fossil fuels and has moved to slash support for green projects.

The new solar levies will be

in addition to new widespread tariffs

imposed by Mr Trump that have upended global supply chains and markets. The antidumping and countervailing duties, as they are known, are designed to offset the value of alleged unfair subsidisation and pricing, as calculated by the Commerce Department.

The US imported US$12.9 billion (S$17 billion) in solar equipment in 2024 from the four countries that would be subject to the new duties, according to BloombergNEF. That represents about 77 per cent of total module imports. BLOOMBERG