The US Department of Trade has announced plans to impose a tariff of up to 3521 % on solar panel imports from four countries in Southeast Asia.
This comes after an investigation began a year ago when many of the major solar producers at that time asked Joe Biden from its president at the time to protect their operations in the United States.
The proposed fees – targeting companies in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam – are in response to support allegations from China and the delivery of cheap, unfair products in the American market.
A separate US government agency, the International Trade Committee, is scheduled to contact a final decision on the new definitions in June.
The duties of compensatory and control vary, as this tariff is known, between the companies and countries made by their products.
Some exporters of solar equipment in Cambodia face the highest duties of 3521 % due to what was seen as a lack of cooperation with the investigation of the Ministry of Commerce.
The manufactured products in Malaysia, Jenko Solar, have faced some of the lowest duties of more than 41 %.
The other China -based Trina Solar is facing a 375 % tariff for the products it manufactures in Thailand.
None of the company immediately responded to the BBC News requests.
In recent years, many Chinese companies have moved to Southeast Asia in an attempt to avoid the customs tariff imposed since the beginning of the first period of US President Donald Trump.
The results of the US Department of Commerce were welcomed by the American Coalition Committee for Solar Manufacturing – a group of manufacturers that called on the US government to launch the investigation.
“This is a decisive victory for American manufacturing and confirms what we have known for a long time: that the Chinese solar energy that is taking the Chinese is cheating on the system,” said Tim Braretbell, the coalition’s main adviser.
In 2023, America imported approximately $ 12 billion (8.9 billion pounds) in solar equipment from the four countries, according to the numbers of the American Statistical Office.
While the planned definitions are likely to help us with solar panel manufacturers, they may also mean additional costs for companies and consumers who have benefited from the availability of cheaper solar products.
Fees will be imposed on top of the other definitions that the Trump administration has already been imposed.
The customs tariff was announced a few days after Chinese President Xi Jinping completed a tour of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.
The journey aims to strengthen relations with the region and encourage these countries to resist what it called “bullying from one side” by the United States.
Trump has so far imposed taxes of up to 145 % on imports from China. Other countries are now facing a 10 % American blanket tariff until July.
His administration said last week that when the new tariffs are added to those existing, fees on some Chinese goods can reach 245 %.
China fell with 125 % taxes on products from the United States and pledged “fighting to the end”.
