3,521% Tariffs On Solar Energy
One of the Trump administration’s beliefs is that Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia are dumping solar panels and other solar power plants, many of which come from China. Their answer is 3,521%. These would be the highest of all that Trump would impose.
According to Inside Climate News, “The rate determinations come after a yearlong investigation by the Commerce Department. The agency looked into claims by American producers that Chinese companies with operations in the four Southeast Asian countries were selling solar cells and panels in the U.S. at artificially low prices.” The ITC will be part of the decision because it will test the number that Trump claims
Vietnam Problem
Solar energy companies need these components. They are not made in the US. “They are not made at any large scale in any other nation in the world. In 2024, more than 80 percent of the nation’s solar panels were imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam”
US solar companies would like to fulfill the demand. However, energy-intensive AI, Bitcoin mining, and rising air conditioning use in the US may make this impossible.
Coal Comes Back
About 4% of electricity in the US is provided by solar energy. A shape jump in electricity demand in the US will quickly overwhelm supply. Wind and nuclear energy will be slow to come online. The trim Aminstraoin has put difficult relations on the wind.
Coal will become the fallback for energy needs, having been the primary source for years. This will add to the pollution caused by electricity utilities.
Solar is an absolute necessity. So, with the high tariffs, how does that problem get solved?
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