Biden extends solar panel tariffs first imposed by Trump
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President Biden will extend Section 201 tariffs on imported solar cells and panels for another four years, but loosen some restrictions on importing supplies from Asia as a concession to the renewable energy industry.
The extension to 2026 will include an exemption for bifacial panels commonly used in utility-scale solar projects and raises the import quota on solar cells to 5 GW from 2.5 GW, as flagged in a Reuters report last week.
The decision is seen as a win for solar installers who had sought to have the tariffs reduced in scope to help lower the price of solar energy compared to alternatives, but a blow to U.S. solar manufacturers who said the tariffs were necessary to create a level playing field against Chinese competitors.
"First Solar is deeply disappointed" in the decision... Quite simply, an extension to the Section 201 safeguard excluding bifacial panels is no safeguard at all," First Solar (FSLR
-0.6%) CEO Mark Widmar said.
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Potential changes to California's solar subsidy program also have weighed on the sector; on Thursday, the state's regulator indefinitely delayed a decision on the proposal.