The decision follows tariff increases finalized by the Biden administration in September, targeting key Chinese product categories.
  • mriguy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    763·
    11 days ago

    I’m sure that’s a much more effective than trying to build up US companies to make solar panels.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      351·
      11 days ago

      Both are happening at the same time. A new plant for domestic wafer production is coming online in parallel to this.

      • DeathsEmbrace@lemm.eeEnglish
        136·
        11 days ago

        Where are they getting the material for wafers? Seems like 1 step forward and 3 steps backwards.

          • DeathsEmbrace@lemm.eeEnglish
            141·
            11 days ago

            Where is the sources for the material coming from? I don’t think most people realize that “domestic manufacturing” includes imported materials majority of the time which is getting tariffed.

            • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
              15·
              11 days ago

              Where is the sources for the material coming from? I don’t think most people realize that “domestic manufacturing” includes imported materials majority of the time which is getting tariffed.

              The USA does produce polysilicon domestically, which is the main raw material in wafers and ignots. Since the plant isn’t operational yet there is no report of where they are getting their polysilicon.

              • photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                8·
                10 days ago

                I think they’re asking where the raw materials come from , i.e. the silicon to make the polysilicon. Usually sand is refined for this purpose; a lot of which comes from the Gobi desert in China.

                • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                  2·
                  10 days ago

                  I placed this info elsewhere. Refinery building in Tennessee, query in Canada. At least that’s one company shooting to use the silicon for EV batteries. Makes sense because GM built their battery plant here in Tennessee as well. So they could likely ship within the state once refined. (Trump’s tarrifs on Canada obviously being an issue)

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      73·
      11 days ago

      build up US companies to make solar panels.

      One would expect it to have that effect. If X is more expensive to obtain abroad, then you’ll tend to have more domestic capacity being developed – as long as it’s believed that the tariffs aren’t going to go away in the near future, since otherwise, anyone investing in solar manufacturing capacity stands to lose their investment.

      • Breve@pawb.socialEnglish
        12·
        10 days ago

        Except this move is likely less about promoting domestic solar production and more about protecting oil, gas, and coal by making green energy alternatives more expensive.

        • Jack@slrpnk.netEnglish
          1·
          9 days ago

          Exactly, if that was the only way to produce electricity maybe there is an argument that tariffs will stimulate domestic production, but in this case i think this will just hinder the transition to renewable energy sources.

  • Miles O'Brien@startrek.websiteEnglish
    16·
    10 days ago

    surely they’ll follow up with investments into US-produced solar equipment to boost the economy and bring prices down to competitive levels, right?

    … Right?

  • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
    165·
    11 days ago

    Goddammit Biden. Your time is done. Know when to fold.

    Now when it’s 2025 and beyond, Trump won’t have to do anything with Chinese tariffs. If people complain about tariffs causing price hikes on new solar installations (for which he’s probably gonna get rid of tax incentives on top of that), he can just say, “NoT mY fAuLt, Biden set up the tariffs.”

    Quit while you’re ahead, dude!

    • fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.comEnglish
      21·
      9 days ago

      Been reading about this, sucks, but makes sense.

      China is subsidizing production, using heavily polluting plants, and crashing costs to steal the market. It’s a mafia tactic. Once they fill the market, they’ll jack prices up. The Trump administration excluded bifacial panel tariffs which turned out to be a huge problem since they became the default. Then Biden waived duties for 2 years which compounded it.

      While investments are being made domestically, the administration has tried more but installers just want them cheap, and it’s too late for the US to copy China. So now there are huge tax benefits from the Biden administration, but they need to get people to switch over to using them.

      Now the only way to make that happen appears to be to raise the prices up before Chiba gets the opportunity to saturate the market and do the same. The hope is this will get people to leverage the tax benefits to get the same prices domestically. Hopefully it’s not too late.

      It’s actually a pretty interesting geopolicial whirlwind.