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United States plans to bring back tariffs on dominant solar technology, sources state

The Biden administration is expected to give a request by South Korea's Hanwha Qcells to reverse a twoyearold trade exemption that has actually allowed imports of a dominant solar panel innovation from China and other countries to prevent tariffs, 2 sources knowledgeable about the White House plans stated on Wednesday.

The news sent out shares of solar manufacturers including U.S.-based Very first Solar higher in afternoon trade.

The Qcells request, which has not formerly been reported, comes as the company is seeking to protect a promised $2.5. billion growth of its U.S. solar manufacturing existence. against competitors from more affordable Asian-made products.

The solar division of Korean corporation Hanwha Corp. detailed the demand in a formal petition to the. U.S. Trade Representative on Feb. 23. It consisted of letters of. support from 7 other companies with billions of dollars. integrated invested in U.S. solar factories.

No choice has actually been made on the timeline of the expected. reversal, the sources stated.

Responsibilities on imports of bifacial panels, the main technology in. utility-scale solar projects, would be a boon to the more than. 40 solar devices factories planned since U.S. President Joe. Biden signed his landmark environment change law, the Inflation. Decrease Act, in 2022.

Those plants are crucial to Biden's plan to fight environment. modification, revitalize American production and develop countless. union jobs.

Past trade solutions have sharply divided the U.S. solar. industry, which is controlled by installers and designers who. depend on inexpensive imports to keep their project expenses low.

The leading U.S. solar trade group, the Solar power Industries. Association, lobbied for the bifacial exemption. SEIA did not. react to an ask for comment.

Biden administration officials, including Treasury Secretary. Janet Yellen and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, in. recent weeks have said the U.S. is assessing trade remedies to. handle risks presented by China's enormous investment in factory. capability for clean energy items.

The solar panel issue goes to the core of among Biden's. arguments for re-election: that his economic policies have actually started. changing the U.S. energy economy while combating environment. modification. Nevertheless, the rate of development in the domestic solar panel. manufacturing market has been cast into doubt by rising imports. of cheap, Chinese panels.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by the 2. Democrats from the critical election battlefield state of. Georgia, asked Biden earlier this year to toughen up tariffs on. Chinese solar panels or deal with a glutted market just as. clean-energy tax credits hit the market.

Qcells, which has two factories in Georgia, is the biggest. U.S. producer of silicon-based solar items.

In its petition, a copy of which was seen , the. business asked Biden to withdraw an exemption of so-called bifacial. panels from responsibilities first enforced by Republican former President. Donald Trump in 2018 and extended by Biden, a Democrat, in 2022.

The tariffs on imported modules started at 30% and presently. stand at 14.25%. They are due to expire in 2026.

' A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD'

The majority of panel imports come from Southeast Asia however are made by. Chinese business there.

The U.S. imposed tasks on some panel makers for finishing. their items in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to. avoid tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Biden waived those tariffs. almost 2 years back, a policy that the White House said it will. allow to expire in June.

We're continuing to look at all of our options to make sure. that the historical financial investments stimulated by the Inflation Reduction. Act are successful, a White Home official said. Our companies. and employees can take on anybody, however they require a level. playing field.

Bifacial panels can create electrical power on both sides. The. technology was nascent when the tariffs were very first enforced however. now accounts for 98% of imported modules, according to the. petition.

The action is required, Qcells said in the petition, to. preserve the lots of plans for brand-new U.S. solar manufacturing. capability that have been let loose by incentives consisted of in the. INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT.

Regardless of these favorable trends, there is growing evidence. that unfavorable market conditions caused by surging imports of. bifacial modules are causing numerous business to rethink their. plans to invest in the U.S., the petition stated.

Qcells' demand is supported by 7 other solar. makers with U.S. factories - First Solar, Heliene,. Suniva, Silfab, Crossroads Solar, Objective Solar and Auxin Solar. - according to the petition documents.

First Solar shares were up more than 3% at $178.68 in. afternoon trade on the Nasdaq.

(source: Reuters)