The resolution to reimpose tariffs on PV products imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam was passed by a vote of 221 to 202. The measure passed with the support of 12 Democrats, but at the same time 8 Republicans voted against it.
Preventative
Using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) — which says the U.S. Congress can roll back rules issued by the president if certain conditions are met — Republican Bill Posey and Democrat Dan Gilty launched an initiative last January to ban imports of solar panels. 4 Asian countries. After a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives had already voted down a resolution to restore import tariffs — to a 254 percent high — the House of Representatives has now voted in favor of the measure. However, a two-thirds majority of the House did not vote to reinstate the tariffs, making it appear that President Biden’s declared veto cannot be overturned.
The question is whether Biden will get around to vetoing it anyway. The proposal is now first on the agenda of the Senate — where Democrats hold the lead — unlike the House of Representatives, which has a Republican majority.
255,000 workers
Abigail Rose Hopper, president of the US trade association Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), was disappointed by the interim decision. “The House of Representatives has failed America’s 255,000 solar energy workers and jeopardized the short-term impact of the Inflationary Reduction Act (IRA). To maintain manufacturing capacity in the United States (US), developers continue to build projects, meet our clean energy goals, and bring energy closer to solar energy import tariffs.” A 2-year moratorium has been imposed on.Thanks to the IRA, companies are investing heavily in manufacturing facilities across the country, and the sole purpose of this law is to undermine American companies investing billions in capital and employing thousands of workers.
Political satire
“We urge senators to see through this political farce and investigate the facts,” Hopper continued. “The U.S. cannot produce enough solar panels and solar cells to meet demand, and the remaining 14 months of this embargo give us time to close the gap. The U.S. can get there and become a world leader in clean energy production and development. Lifting the embargo at this stage hurts that future.”
