Biden suspends tariffs on solar panels from Southeast Asia amid measures to boost supplies to US manufacturers

President Biden on Monday authorized emergency measures to boost supplies for the American solar power industry in an effort to address his climate change-fighting goals and fight escalating costs. 

To that end, the White House announced a two-year pause in tariffs on solar panels from Southeast Asia amid complaints by industry groups that the solar sector is being slowed by supply chain problems and a Commerce Department inquiry into possible trade violations involving Chinese products.

"Roughly half of the domestic deployment of solar modules that had been anticipated over the next year is currently in jeopardy as a result of insufficient supply," the announcement said. "Across the country, solar projects are being postponed or canceled."

The Commerce Department announced in March that it was scrutinizing imports of solar panels from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, concerned that products from those countries are skirting U.S. anti-dumping rules that limit imports from China.