Solar Industry Awaits Trump's Decision on Panel Import Tariffs

President of the United States Donald Trump said this week that he would soon announce his decision on whether or not to put tariffs on imported solar panels.

In an interview with Reuters, President Trump did not indicate which way he was leaning, but spoke to the effect of importation on domestic panel manufacturers, saying, “You know, they dump ‘em - government-subsidized, lots of things happening - they dump the panels, then everybody goes out of business." Meanwhile, the Solar Energy Industries Association says tariffs would drive up solar panel prices, cripple demand, potentially eliminating tens of thousands of jobs.

The solar industry is anxiously awaiting the decision, which will have wide-reaching implications for the sector. Domestic panel producers opposed to cheap imports would benefit from a tariff. But installers that have relied on the lower-cost hardware for their recent breakneck growth would suffer ... According to a process governed by the International Trade Commission, Trump has until Jan. 26 to make his decision.

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