| Work Detail |
After years of fighting unfairly priced imports, the tide is finally starting to turn, and we now have the data to prove it. For more than 12 years, Ive worked alongside American solar manufacturers to confront illegal dumping and unfair subsidies that have undermined investment, bankrupted companies, and cost American jobs. The solution hasnt been complicated: Weve asked our government to enforce its own trade laws. When it has, the results have clearly shown that targeted tariffs work. Despite the politicization of the word tariff, it is important not to lose sight of its strategic value. When applied carefully and deliberately, they have proven to be a powerful tool for leveling the playing field and encouraging the kind of long-term investment that fuels domestic manufacturing and expands American supply chains. The lesson is simple. When trade policy is clear and consistent, manufacturers invest. When its volatile and unpredictable, they withdraw. The solar industry is an example of what can happen when we stay the course in enforcing trade rules. After years of fighting unfairly priced imports, the trend is finally starting to change, and we now have the data to prove it. Just this month, new U.S. government trade data revealed a dramatic decline in imports of solar cells and modules from the four Southeast Asian countries mentioned in our AD/CVD petition . The value of imports has plummeted: Vietnam : 91.5% less Thailand : 90% less Malaysia : 87% less Cambodia : 66% less These are not minor fluctuations. These figures make one thing very clear: preliminary tariffs are working. Of course, we closely monitor changes in import behavior. In particular, imports from Laos and Indonesia have increased by 214% and 4,797.96% , respectively, indicating that other activities are underway. But in the context of the massive declines in the original four countries, this change only underscores the effectiveness of tariffs in curbing unfair trade by known violators. We must now remain vigilant and ensure that enforcement adapts to evolving trade flows and foreign competitors continued search for ways to circumvent tariffs. The road hasnt been easy. Strategic enforcement in 2011 and 2014 under the Obama administration made progress, but it simply resulted in Chinese companies shifting their subsidized manufacturing elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Section 201 tariffs in 2018 under the Trump administration also helped, encouraging significant investments from companies like First Solar and Hanwha Qcells. These investments were made because manufacturers believed the United States was serious about rebuilding solar manufacturing. Then came the 2022 tariff moratorium under President Biden. This gave China-based companies a clear two-year window to disrupt the U.S. market with tariff-free inventory, sending prices plummeting and jeopardizing new manufacturing investments across the United States. These companies flooded the market with highly subsidized products, many of which remain in U.S. storage, keeping prices artificially low. In an effort to stem this flow of imports, seven leading solar manufacturers joined forces in 2024 to form the Alliance of American Manufacturers Trade Committee to file new AD/CVD petitions. Those investigations are nearly complete. Now, just a few months after the preliminary duties were announced, we are seeing the impact. Unfair imports from the affected countries have plummeted. The tariffs are doing exactly what they were designed to do: restore fair competition, support domestic manufacturers, and lay the foundation for long-term energy security. The lesson is simple. When trade policy is clear and consistent, manufacturers invest. When it is volatile and unpredictable, they retreat. If we want a thriving solar manufacturing sector that supports good-paying jobs in the United States, provides energy independence, and ensures resilient supply chains, we need strategic implementation backed by a sustained commitment to investing in American manufacturing. The success of the solar industry doesnt depend on ideology. Its success is based on smart policy. Strategic tariffs not only work, they are essential. |
