US to Decide Solar Panel Tariffs on India, Laos, Indonesia — All You Need to Know

The US Commerce Department on February 23 will unveil a preliminary decision on whether to impose anti-subsidy duties on solar cells and panels imported from India, Laos and Indonesia, reported Reuters.

The announcement is the first of two expected by the agency in the coming weeks in a trade case brought by a group representing a portion of the small US solar manufacturing sector. Commerce is likely to make final determinations later this year.

Monday's decision on countervailing duties will consider whether companies operating in the three countries received unfair government subsidies that make American products uncompetitive. Commerce is set to make a separate decision next month on whether those companies flooded the US market at prices below their cost of production.

The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade includes South Korea's Hanwha Qcells and Arizona-based First Solar, which are seeking to protect billions of dollars in investments in US factories.

The group's petition, filed in July, accuses Chinese companies of shifting production from nations that received US tariffs to Indonesia and Laos and also accuses Indian-headquartered manufacturers of dumping cheap goods in the United States.

The group has succeeded previously in winning tariffs on imports from countries in Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

India Emerges as Crucial Supplier

Citing a report by the PL Capital, The Economic Times reported that India’s solar industry has emerged as a key suppler to the US, restricting imports from China-linked supply chains. As a result, the US became the main buyer procuring about 97% of India’s solar module exports between 2023 and 2025.

The report further indicated that India’s solar module rose nearly nine times in 2023 and doubled again in 2024. It noted that this shift positions India as a “credible alternative supplier in the global solar value chain.”

Another factor in The Economic Times report underscored that cost is a major factor in this trade relationship. India comes off as an attractive alternative to buyers because its solar modules are 19% to 21% cheaper than those made in the US. However, India faces competition from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Malaysia.  While India's share of US solar imports grew from 3% in 2022 to 11% in 2024, Vietnam still leads with a 36% share. The US solar sector itself had a "milestone year" in 2024 by adding 50 GW of new capacity, fuelled by local government incentives.