Biden vetoes legislation that would restore tariffs on some solar panels

President Biden announced a two-year pause on tariffs last year after importers complained the sanctions would threaten wider adoption of solar power in the United States.< /p>

President Biden on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have restored tariffs on solar panels from Chinese companies in Southeast Asia that had been imported into the United States in violation of trade rules.

The Senate narrowly passed the resolution this month, with several key Democrats backing the measure, in a sharp rebuke to Mr. Biden. The president announced a two-year pause on tariffs last year after importers complained the sanctions would threaten wider adoption of solar power in the United States.

"Passing this resolution is betting against American innovation," Biden said in a statement on Tuesday. "It would undermine those efforts and create deep uncertainty for American businesses and workers in the 'solar industry."

A two-thirds majority of lawmakers in both chambers would be needed to override Mr. Biden's veto.

The confrontation pitted Mr. Biden's climate goals against efforts to make the United States less dependent on China's supply of materials crucial to America's economy. Critics said the suspension of tariffs had failed to defend American solar energy workers and manufacturers, who pushed the administration to block the import of cheap products.

"We must support the message of wanting to build an American supply chain with action – even if it is difficult and complicates some deployments," said Robbie Diamond, chief executive of SAFE, a group that advocates reducing American dependency. to oil. 'If we're going to talk about the conversation, we need to follow the lead.'

Congress members took aim at Biden's suspension of sanctions after US trade The court ruled in December that four Chinese companies illegally attempted to evade US tariffs on solar products sent from China by routing their products through factories in Southeast Asia.

If not for Mr. Biden's tariff ruling, these companies would have faced higher tariff rates for importing products into the United States. Some Democrats have joined Republicans in accusing the administration of violating U.S. trade rules written to protect U.S. manufacturers.

Rep. Dan Kildee, Democrat of Michigan, has said in a statement on Tuesday that Mr. Biden did not “hold China accountable.” .

The administration, however, argued that buying solar panels from China in the short term was necessary to materialize the president's efforts to mitigate climate change. . China manufactures the vast majority of cells and panels that convert sunlight into electricity.

Solar importers and installers, however, defended the pause on tariffs and have said it should even be extended longer. The White House also argued the materials are needed as companies pledge to build solar panels after Mr Biden passed the Cut Inflation Act, which offers $37 billion in incentives companies to produce solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and crucial minerals in the United States.

"This action is a reaffirmation of the commitment of the administration to business certainty in the clean energy sector, and a signal to businesses to continue creating jobs, building domestic manufacturing capacity and investing in American communities,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in a statement.

Ana Swanson contributed reporting.