Full Title: An Overview of the Section 201 Solar Tariff
Author(s): American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Publisher(s): American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
This issue brief provides a detailed description and analysis of the new tariff on imported solar
crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells and modules that took effect on Feb. 7, 2018. The tariffs
begin at 30 percent for the first year and will step down five percent annually for the ensuing three
years. They were announced on Jan. 23 by President Trump in response to a case brought by two
foreign-owned, bankrupt companies under the U.S. “global safeguard” law, Section 201 of the Trade
Act of 1974.
Market anticipation of these tariffs began affecting development in the U.S. solar sector months
before President Trump’s decision. Now that the tariffs have been imposed, global and domestic solar
manufacturers and developers will need to make quick investment decisions informed by the
transformed solar economic landscape. While the level of the tariff selected by President Trump is
well below the worst case “remedy” available, it will still have a measurable deleterious impact on the
growing solar industry over the next several years.