The Biden administration decided on Monday to investigate whether solar products imported from four Asian countries illegally bypass existing duties placed on China, setting off criticism from green energy groups that say the imposition of tariffs will harm deployment of solar technology and thwart efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commerce Department will open a circumvention inquiry to determine if solar cells and modules brought in from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia violate anti-dumping and countervailing duties against Chinese solar products. California-based Auxin Solar filed the petition last month, arguing the imports violate so-called “AD/CVD” tariffs and are injurious to domestic cell and module manufacturers.
