The Jan. 26 deadline for President Trump to make a decision on the 201 trade case is now just over two weeks away. Opponents of solar tariffs have made their case by penning op-eds and sharing thoughts with The Hill, Time and Trump’s cabinet members.
Earlier this month, the ITC sent a supplemental report to Trump saying China has contradicted its commitments to the World Trade Organization by taking advantage of U.S. government programs meant to encourage renewable energy consumption.
On Jan. 10, 27 metal structure manufacturers that are part of the CSPV solar value chain including Schletter, NEXTracker and Quick Mount PV wrote a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer urging him to avoid tariffs on solar modules and allow the solar sector to continue to thrive.
SEIA’s also been pushing hard on social media and in Washington, D.C., to discourage tariffs. This month, SEIA members met with Lighthizer and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to make their case against tariffs. Some of the companies that attended were SunPower, Sunrun, Cypress Creek Renewables, PanelClaw and RBI Solar.
“Reports in the press indicate that a decision on the trade case may come very soon, and SEIA continues its relentless advocacy to ensure a positive outcome,” said Dan Whitten, SEIA’s VP of communications. “Our meetings with administration officials have been very productive and our industry has been persuasive in linking high tariffs with the potential for immediate and significant job loss. We continue to drive home the message through advertising, outreach and advocacy that putting America First means saying no to high tariffs and saving American solar jobs.”
In the end, the decision comes down to one person. A person whose “America-First” mantra is rightfully worrying most of the solar industry.
Tell Us What You Think!