You can watch the full Action News Now conversation in the video at the end of this story.
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Jobs in Northwest Ohio and America are at stake if steps aren’t taken to stop China from cheating to gain an advantage in the global solar manufacturing space, members of Congress and companies including First Solar say.
They allege that China is illegally avoiding tariffs by importing solar products to the U.S. through other Southeast Asian countries. The country is dumping solar products into the U.S. below cost in an attempt to squeeze American companies out of the market, they believe.
Leaders with First Solar, which has the Western Hemisphere’s largest solar manufacturing footprint thanks to its facility in Perrysburg, say if China is allowed to dominate the solar energy industry today, the U.S. will have to rely on its adversary in the future.
“China, like it’s done so many other places and so many other industries, including in Ohio and the steel industry, is intent on dominating the solar module manufacturing industry as well,” said Jason Dymbort, First Solar executive vice president and general counsel. “They’re using the same old playbook.*
A group of U.S. solar manufacturers, including First Solar, filed petitions with the Department of Commerce and U.S. International Trade Commission urging them to investigate unfair trade practices from factories in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The ITC is expected to release initial findings Friday on whether American companies are being hurt by imports from those countries.
More than 80% of U.S. panel imports come from those four countries.
“We just want to compete on the basis of our merits,” Dymbort said. “We welcome competition from China. We welcome competition from Southeast Asia. All we’re asking for is that the competition is on a level playing field.”
The Biden Administration halted tariffs on solar products made in China in an effort to drive down prices and meet its climate goals in the U.S. They were reinstated Thursday after a two-year pause.
Prices fell down more than 50% last year as China continues to dominate global supply.
The Solar Energy Industries Association expects the number of solar installations in the U.S. to doubly by 2030 and then triple by 2034. That’s why U.S. manufacturers and some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing for a level playing field moving forward so the U.S. can meet that rising demand instead of China.
“We have the ability to service the solar generation through our own homegrown capability,” Dymbort said. “But unless we enforce our trade laws, we’re going to cede all of that opportunity to a highly adversarial nation.”
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are leading a group of lawmakers in pushing the U.S. ITC and U.S. Department of Commerce to demand thorough investigations into Chinese companies.
“We know China cheats,” Brown said in an interview with 13 Action News. “We know how important First Solar is for jobs and how important they are to a clean energy future. We know China is going to continue to try to subsidize their solar panels in the U.S. It’ll put American workers out of business.”
Kaptur said in a statement she believes the U.S. needs to meet trade violations by China “head-on” in the fight to “protect and spur innovation at home.”
“The U.S. Government must aggressively counter unfair trade practices before our domestic solar manufacturing industry becomes a casualty of China’s aggressive economic warfare,” Kaptur said.
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