Trade tariffs have caused ‘devastating harm’ to US solar industry

• Tariffs introduced to imported solar cells and modules have caused “devastating harm” to the US solar industry, new analysis compiled by the Solar Energy Industries Association has claimed.

Released ahead of the start of the midterm review process for the tariffs in question, SEIA’s analysis claims that trade tariffs have prevented billions of dollars in new private sector investment, cost more than 62,000 jobs and meant that 10.5GW of installations have collapsed.

Furthermore, the trade body’s analysis claims that each day the trade tariffs continue to be in place costs the US more than US$10.5 billion in lost economic activity, while each new job in manufacturing created by the tariffs costs an additional 31 jobs further down the supply chain.

Abigail Ron Hopper, president and chief executive at SEIA, said the industry was now starting to feel the impacts of the Trump administration’s tariff policy which it first warned about two years ago.

“This stark data should be the predicate for removing harmful tariffs and allowing solar to fairly compete and continue creating jobs for Americans,” she said.