Senate bill would repeal 30 percent tariff on solar component imports

A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last week would strike the 30 percent tariff on some imported solar cells and panels that President Donald Trump handed down in January.

Introduced by U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Dean Heller (R-NV), S. 3022 would amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to repeal the duty and tariff-rate quota increases on solar components, including some crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells.

“President Trump’s decision to impose a new import tax on solar energy equipment harms hundreds of locally-owned companies, jeopardizes tens of thousands of workers and stifles billions of dollars in investment in communities and manufacturing in New Mexico and across the country,” Heinrich said. “We need to look at the bigger picture of the American solar industry and its role as a major employer of American workers. The bipartisan Protecting American Solar Jobs Act would reverse the harmful tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and put American workers first.”

The Solar Energy Industry Association estimates that the solar tariff would result in the loss of about 23,000 American jobs in 2018 and would eliminate billions of dollars in solar investments. Solar energy investments in New Mexico alone have surpassed $1.5 billion, and 120 solar companies in Nevada employ 6,500 workers and power more than 425,000 homes.

“Nevada continues to be a national leader in solar innovation,” Heller said. “In fact, solar energy powers countless homes, businesses, and even resorts and casinos across our state. Our bipartisan bill protects Nevadans’ jobs in this important sector by reversing the 30 percent tax on solar panels, a tariff that threatens jobs and has the potential to harm our economy.”

S. 3022, which was introduced on June 7, has been referred to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in April.

“We are grateful for the work Sens. Heller and Heinrich are doing to reverse the ill-conceived tariffs on solar cells and panels,” Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said. “The legislation will correct a policy that has had harmful effects on solar development and slowed down a jobs-creating engine that can transform America’s clean energy economy to the benefit of all Americans.”