Solar projects are on hold as U.S. investigates whether China is skirting trade rules
Solar projects are on hold as the U.S. investigates whether China is skirting trade rules Hundreds of large-scale solar power projects are on hold in the U.S. as the industry awaits the outcome of a federal investigation into potential trade violations involving solar panels bought from Asian suppliers. Department of Commerce investigators hope to determine whether Chinese manufacturers are skirting longstanding U.S. duty rules on solar imports from China by funneling components through affiliates in four nearby countries — Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam — where panels are assembled for export to the U.S. The four countries at the heart of the investigation account for more than 80% of solar panel imports, according to the American Clean Power Association. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), a Washington, D.C.-based trade group that opposes the investigation, said solar installation forecasts for 2022 and 2023 are down by 46% attri...