--- title: "Trump Just Set a Tariff on Solar Panels So High That Your Eyebrows May Raise Involuntarily" description: "The Trump administration is slapping giant tariffs on solar panels — and the figures are so high, you will straight up gasp." date: "2025-04-22" modified: "2025-04-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trump-tariffs-solar-panels" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "china" - "donald trump" - "solar panels" - "tariffs" - "the digest" --- # Trump Just Set a Tariff on Solar Panels So High That Your Eyebrows May Raise Involuntarily ![The Trump administration is slapping giant tariffs on solar panels — and the figures are so high, you will straight up gasp.]() *\Image: Andrew Harnik via Getty / Futurism\* ## Cell Dweller The Trump administration is slapping giant tariffs on Southeast Asian-made solar panels — and the figures are so high, you may straight up gasp. As [*CNN*]() and [other outlets report](), the United States is seeking tariffs of up to 3,521 percent — yes, you read that right — on solar cells and panels from Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, all of which supply Chinese companies that have been accused of unfair competition. Nominally issued to help American companies compete against Chinese companies that flood American markets with cheap solar panels, the levies probably better serve to illustrate how far this president is willing to go in his trade war — even at the expense of cheap renewable power. ## Solar Pain Just under a year ago, several solar panel companies petitioned then-president Joe Biden to [instate tariffs]() on Chinese solar cell companies that had allegedly "dumped" their unfairly cheap products onto US markets and, in doing so, harmed American companies. Led by Hanwha Qcells, a South Korean company with facilities in the state of Georgia, and the Arizona-based First Solar Inc, the companies claim their Chinese counterparts are undercutting competition and harming their bottom lines when flooding American markets with uber-cheap products from Southeast Asia, some of which were priced below the cost of production. While it's not exactly clear why the Biden administration didn't take swifter action on those allegations, this seeming overcorrect under Donald Trump serves as a stark reminder of the state of play in his [foolish trade war]() with China — and how [starkly against clean energy]() this president remains. As the [*Houston Chronicle* reports,]() renewable energy developers in the blood-red state of Texas have been plagued by uncertainty as their production timelines have been repeatedly stymied by the "wait-and-see" nature of Trump's tariffs. "If this self-inflicted and unnecessary market uncertainty continues, we’ll almost certainly see more projects paused, more construction halted, and more job opportunities disappear," explained Michael Timberlake, the communications director for the clean energy group E2, [in a statement](). **More on trade war:** [*China Creates Mocking AI Video of Average Americans Working in Garment Factory*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()