Court Rules That Imported Solar Panels Are Bad For US Manufacturing (theverge.com)

The International Trade Commission has ruled that American companies are being hurt by cheap solar panels from overseas, providing an opportunity for President Donald Trump to tax imports from countries like China. The Verge reports: Today's unanimous decision ruled that the companies SolarWorld Americans and Suniva were struggling financially not because of their own poor management, but because they couldn't compete with cheap panels from countries like China, Mexico, and South Korea. Suniva is now suggesting import duties of 40 cents a watt for solar cells, and a floor price of 78 cents a watt for panels. (Right now, the average floor price, worldwide, for panels is about 32 cents.) The Solar Energy Industries Association warned that implementing these suggestions could end up doubling the price of solar, thus destroying demand and causing Americans to lose their jobs.

Comments

Re:well, yeah

[MightyMartian]

IN the post-WWII era trade liberalization has been about creating economic interdependence as jobs or wealth. It was believed that increasing economic interdependence would reduce the likelihood of hostility between countries joined in a liberal and relatively open trade pact. But there are also significant benefits to any market, providing it is sufficiently mature and robust, being able to sell easily outside its borders, and certainly easing of trade restrictions is very good for consumers. The lesson of protectionism in the 18th and 19th century was that it didn't ultimately improve domestic economies, it tended to favor industrial and business indolence and inefficiency, as domestic manufacturers, protected from competition, ultimately served consumers poorly. Steel tariffs which protected domestic steel industries increased costs all the way down the line.

It's a lot different for developing economies, where local industry may need protection for some time, but one can hardly use that excuse for countries industrialized as long as the US. If what Trump and his supporters say is true, then the US has an incredibly weak, almost developing world-like economy, and I think we all know that's not true.

Re:This sounds great until...

[thinkwaitfast]

Exactly, I've been recently looking into buying another 10+kw for my solar system, especially now that solar panels have fallen below 20cents/w. I'm squeaking by now on 2.5kw, but moar is always better, plus it will give me full power in low light conditions, ie, winter.

Re:Let's just make solar illegal to import!

[Anonymous Coward]

China also demands 51% ownership of anything on its soil. Imagine if the US demanded you had reps from the NSA, DHS, DEA, and the FBI on your company's board, approving all your decisions.

Um, Hillary completely forgot about them

[rsilvergun]

It's why she lost. She didn't campaign in the rust belt swing states. There were stories of the DNC down there freaking out because nobody was showing up to help them win. She bought into that "Blue Firewall" nonsense and figured since the voted Obama they'd vote for her. She lost by a hair's breath. All she had to do to win was stop wasting time in Arizona and hit the pavement in the states that mattered.

But well, she always was arrogant as heck. That was one of the main faults people sited for not liking her, and well, elections are popularity contests...