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The United States imported approximately 14 billion U.S. dollars worth of solar PV modules between January and October 2024. Almost 40 percent of these solar panels imported into the U.S. during this period came from Vietnam. 

Solar import tariffs

In 2012, the Obama administration implemented duties on solar equipment imported from China to counteract the competitive edge held by foreign companies. These levies were then expanded in 2015, leading to the gradual phase-out of Chinese solar imports. Since then, the U.S. solar market has heavily relied on equipment assembled in SE Asia. However, in April 2022, the U.S. Commerce Department launched an import-tariff-circumvention investigation, under the suspicion PV modules imported from these countries contained components made in China. In August 2023, the Commerce Department published its final conclusion, stating that a number of the investigated companies were violating U.S. laws. 

How is the solar market now?

The price of solar PV modules in the United States has seen an overall decline since 2015, despite some fluctuations. During the same period, the number of solar energy-related jobs in the North American country has been on a mostly upward trend, reaching a record high of nearly 280,000 jobs in 2023. Altogether, the U.S. solar energy industry continues to prosper in spite of the import tariffs placed on this renewable energy source.