SolarPVInvestor Forums

The US tariffs on Chinese panels is coming home to roost. While I wouldn't mind tariffs on everything Walmart imports, renewable energy should not have these barriers due to a balance of trade with our material and equipment exports and because of the dire need to have cheap renewables here in the US. Perhaps this will wake a few folks up?

The PV value-chain is too complex and globalized to avoid hurting everyone when raising trade barriers. With the industry already on its knees from over capacity issues, trade barriers curbing global end market growth is the last thing the industry needs, but politicians either draw the conclusion that they help the domestic industry or just want to win votes by painting an incorrect picture of saving domestic jobs by "being tough on China". China of course reponds to the nonsense with more nonsense.

Yes, while our planets health hangs in the balance. We all knew this would happen when it was announced. The fossil fuel lobby loved it as well as it made renewables more expensive. GT Solar or whatever they are called now is likely to feel the pain in the future in the equipment sector.

It would have made so much more sense to offer "subsidies" to Chi Solars to make or assemble domestic panels here rather than attack them.

Yes, the US position doesn't make sense. The funds from the Chinese bank loans have been used to import manufacturing equipment and poly produced in the US. The Chinese then use this equipment and poly to make panels at low cost, to provide good value for the EPC companies in the US. Those getting rich on the Chinese bank loans so far have primarily been the shareholders of the US equipment and poly makers and US EPC, not really the Chinese panel makers they just got the debt out that deal.

Old topic and I'm repeating myself every time there's new development on this.