U.S. solar manufacturers are petitioning for new tariffs on solar panels imported from Laos, claiming Chinese companies are using the nation to circumvent existing trade restrictions. This petition arrives as Laos’s solar energy sector expands, with projects including a 600 MW initiative backed by a $600 million MOU with Power China [https://www.pvknowhow.com/news/laos-solar-power-project-600-million-mou/]. Domestically, companies like SolarBank are focusing on U.S.-made panels for projects such as a 2.9 MW community solar installation in Gainesville, New York, a move that highlights the complexities of the global solar supply chain.
Solar Tariff Dispute Petition Details
In a formal petition to the U.S. Commerce Department, the American Solar Manufacturers Against Chinese Circumvention (A-SMACC) alleges that solar cells and panels are being produced in Laos using Chinese components to avoid U.S. tariffs. The coalition, which includes companies like Auxin Solar, New Energy Equity, and Heliene USA, is pushing for tariffs on Laotian solar products that would mirror those already in place for Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The filing comes as solar production in Laos continues to increase [https://www.pvknowhow.com/solar-report/laos/].
Previous Solar Tariff Dispute Impact
The U.S. Commerce Department first imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on solar products from China and Taiwan a decade ago. In 2022, the department determined that Chinese companies were circumventing these tariffs by assembling panels in Southeast Asian nations with Chinese-made cells and components. The Biden administration delayed imposing new tariffs on these imports until June 2024 to maintain a sufficient supply for its clean energy goals. The potential impact of such tariffs on the U.S. solar industry has been a key concern before, especially regarding imports from Malaysia [https://www.pvknowhow.com/news/malaysia-solar-tariffs-final-tariffs-announced/].
Laos Solar Imports Surge Amidst Solar Tariff Dispute
Laos has emerged as a significant exporter of solar panels to the U.S. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Laos exported 1.7 GW of panels to the United States in the first half of 2024, making it the fourth-largest source of U.S. solar imports. That figure is a substantial increase from the 0.4 GW exported in the previous year. The petition asserts that these imports accounted for 10% of total U.S. solar imports from January to June 2024, while the 2.1 GW imported from Laos in 2023 represented approximately 6% of all U.S. panel imports. This growth coincides with broader clean energy investments in Laos, such as the $1.45 billion deal with China’s PowerChina for wind, solar, and transmission projects [https://www.pvknowhow.com/news/laos-clean-energy-deal-1-45-billion/].
Future Implications of the Solar Tariff Dispute
If the U.S. Commerce Department’s investigation leads to tariffs on solar products from Laos, it could significantly reshape the global solar supply chain and the U.S. solar market. Potential consequences include increased costs and a slowdown in solar deployment, underscoring the ongoing challenges facing the renewable energy sector [https://www.pvknowhow.com/news/renewable-energy-barriers-5-critical-challenges-revealed-in-2025-report/].
