US solar industry faces new tariffs after years of trade complexities

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The big story in US solar power right now is -- you guessed it -- tariffs.

This year has been eventful for the industry, but this story actually started 13 years ago.

In 2012, the US issued anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar cells.

Some affected companies moved to Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and then THOSE countries got hit with antidumping tariffs.

This solar tariff whack-a-mole" is still going on today and has drastically altered sourcing for US solar imports.

There’s now a case considering India, Indonesia and Laos for new duties. But wait, there’s more.

Polysilicon, which is needed to build solar panels, is now under investigation by the Trump administration. This could result in new tariffs on polysilicon imports.

Add the new nation-specific tariffs, and we're looking at a LOT of pressure on this growing market, which already relies heavily on imports.

US domestic manufacturing capacity of solar modules is scaling up, with 55 GW added in the first half of 2025, but these tariffs are expected to limit growth.

Other tariffs on solar modules are set to expire, and we also won’t see resolution on the next round of antidumping and countervailing duties until early next year.