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US plans to restore tariffs on dominant solar innovation, sources say

The Biden administration is expected to give a demand by South Korea's Hanwha Qcells to reverse a twoyearold trade exemption that has permitted imports of a dominant photovoltaic panel innovation from China and other countries to avoid tariffs, 2 sources acquainted with the White Home strategies said on Wednesday.

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

The Qcells demand, which has not formerly been reported, comes as the business is looking for to secure a promised $2.5. billion growth of its U.S. solar manufacturing presence. versus competitors from less expensive Asian-made items.

The solar department of Korean conglomerate Hanwha Corp. described the request in a formal petition to the. U.S. Trade Agent on Feb. 23. It consisted of letters of. assistance from seven other companies with billions of dollars. integrated bought U.S. solar factories.

No choice has been made on the timeline of the expected. turnaround, the sources said.

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

Those plants are crucial to Biden's strategy to fight climate. modification, revitalize American production and create millions of. union tasks.

Past trade solutions have actually dramatically divided the U.S. solar. market, which is dominated by installers and designers who. depend on cheap imports to keep their job expenses low.

The leading U.S. solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries. Association (SEIA), lobbied for the bifacial exemption.

In a declaration, SEIA did not resolve the exemption straight. but promoted for an increase in the quantity of solar cells that. can be imported tariff-free to assist companies putting together. American-made panels.

We hope the Administration is prepared to directly support. increased domestic manufacturing of solar modules by raising the. tariff rate quota on cells, stated Stacy Ettinger, SEIA's senior. vice president of supply chain and trade.

Biden administration authorities, consisting of Treasury Secretary. Janet Yellen and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, in. current weeks have said the U.S. is examining trade solutions to. deal with hazards postured by China's massive financial investment in factory. capacity for tidy energy goods.

The solar panel issue goes to the core of among Biden's. arguments for re-election: that his financial policies have actually begun. changing the U.S. energy economy while combating environment. change. However, the speed of growth in the domestic photovoltaic panel. making market has been cast into doubt by surging imports. of inexpensive, Chinese panels.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by the 2. Democrats from the important election battlefield state of. Georgia, asked Biden previously this year to toughen up tariffs on. Chinese photovoltaic panels or face 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 products.

In its petition, a copy of which was seen , the. business asked Biden to withdraw an exemption of so-called bifacial. panels from duties first imposed 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 currently. stand at 14.25%. They are because of end 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. enforced responsibilities on some panel makers for completing. their items in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to. prevent tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Biden waived those tariffs. nearly two years earlier, a policy that the White Home stated it will. permit to expire in June.

We're continuing to take a look at all of our options to make sure. that the historical investments spurred by the Inflation Reduction. Act achieve success, a White House official said. Our companies. and workers can take on anybody, but they require a level. playing field.

Bifacial panels can generate electrical energy on both sides. The. innovation was nascent when the tariffs were very first enforced however. now represents 98% of imported modules, according to the. petition.

The action is needed, Qcells stated in the petition, to. preserve the many prepare for new U.S. solar manufacturing. capacity that have been unleashed by incentives consisted of in the. IRA.

Despite these favorable trends, there is growing evidence. that unfavorable market conditions brought on by rising imports of. bifacial modules are triggering a number of business to rethink their. strategies to invest in the U.S., the petition stated.

Qcells' demand is supported by seven other solar. manufacturers with U.S. factories - Very first Solar, Heliene,. Suniva, Silfab, Crossroads Solar, Mission Solar and Auxin Solar. - according to the petition files.

First Solar shares closed nearly 3% higher at $178.01 on the. Nasdaq.

(source: Reuters)