The extension of a US tariff on solar products has been criticized by China’s commerce ministry, who said that it distorts international trade and gets in the way of the development of clean, low-emission energy, reports Reuters. US President Joe Biden on Friday extended Trump-era tariffs on imported solar energy equipment for four years, though he eased the terms to exclude bifacial panels that generate power on both sides, which are dominant among big US projects.
Donald Trump imposed the tariffs on solar imports in 2018, using authority under section 201 of a 1974 trade law. The levies started at 30% and declined to 15%.
“The US government insisted on extending the section 201 measures despite strong opposition from related parties at home and abroad, and they not only do not help the healthy development of the domestic US industry, but also distort the normal order of international trade in photovoltaics as a new energy product,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
