U.S. Solar Tariffs Soar Amid Trade Rift, Cambodia Denies China
Cambodia has been hit with a steep tariff of more than 3,500% on its solar cell exports to the U.S. – the highest among Southeast Asian countries – after producers and the
Solar panels on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, March 13, 2024. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang) Cambodia has been hit with a steep tariff of more than 3,500% on its solar cell exports to the U.S. – the highest among Southeast Asian countries – after producers and the government failed to cooperate with a year-long U.S. trade probe now nearing its end.
The new rates are expected to severely impact trade, especially as Cambodia's solar exports to the U.S. were already on the decline. In 2024, solar panel exports dropped sharply to $830 million – a nearly 60% fall from $2.07 billion in 2023. Exports to the U.S. alone plunged by more than 61%.
Brightbill spoke during a Monday press call. The 3,403.96% subsidy rate set for four Cambodian solar exporters is “among the highest rates I've ever seen in any kind of countervailing duty investigation,” Brightbill said. The across-the-board dumping rate for Cambodia is 125.37%.
The Commerce Department in 2023 found that manufacturers had operated in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to dodge tariffs on Chinese-made solar components, and it imposed import duties accordingly. Chinese solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar is subject to an 38.38% subsidy rate in Malaysia, and an 125.91% dumping rate in Vietnam.
PDF version includes complete article with source references. Suitable for printing and offline reading.
Download detailed product specifications, case studies, and technical data for our off-grid PV containers and mobile energy storage solutions.
15 Innovation Drive
Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
+27 87 702 3126
Monday - Friday: 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM SAST