Solar Industry Comments on “Surge of Solar Imports” Amidst Threat of Circumvention Tariffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following is a statement from John Smirnow, SEIA’s vice president of market strategy, in response to Auxin Solar’s complaints about the market volatility their tariff petition has created:

“The lone company seeking these tariffs, Auxin Solar, is now complaining about a surge in solar cell imports, a product not even manufactured in the United States. This is a blatant attempt by Auxin to unfairly gain a competitive advantage, to the great detriment of other domestic module manufacturers and the American solar industry at large. Auxin’s attempted abuse of U.S. trade laws is shocking, and their petition must be rejected.
 
“If the case is initiated you will see imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia slow to a trickle, killing solar deployment and our progress on climate change. The reason these imports will stop is because Commerce’s initiation of the case alone could immediately start the clock on tariffs between 50% and 250%. This creates massive uncertainty about costs going forward. Since we get 80% of our imports from these countries, the initiation of the case alone will stifle deployment and lead directly to an increase in U.S. carbon emissions.”

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About SEIA®: 

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy, creating the framework for solar to achieve 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is the national trade association for the solar and solar + storage industries, building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org and follow @SEIA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Media Contact: 

Morgan Lyons, SEIA’s Director of Communications, mlyons@seia.org (202) 556-2872