Eric Boehm of Reason writes about one solar company’s attempt to hurt the U.S. solar industry.
- San Jose-based Auxin Solar is petitioning the Biden administration to impose tariffs on solar parts that are manufactured in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
- Solar tariffs have had an overwhelmingly negative impact on the U.S. solar industry, increasing costs for consumers and decreasing project build outs.
- If the Biden administration wants to bolster our nation’s clean energy portfolio, they should expand free trade and eliminate protectionist measures such as tariffs.
“Above all, this offers a lesson about how protectionism creates perverse incentives in markets and politics. Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese solar parts and Biden’s decision to extend those tariffs have created a bizarre situation where a bankrupt solar manufacturer and an ‘artisanal solar boutique’ might get to dictate the future of an entire industry.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
