Governors' Wind Energy Coalition

Suniva and SolarWorld Americas, two U.S. solar manufacturers seeking import relief under a Section 201 investigation, are pressing the U.S. International Trade Commission to recommend that President Donald Trump institute either a floor price for imported solar equipment or tariffs plus a quota that caps the amount of solar panels and cells that can enter the country.

The two companies filed a joint brief and each recommended different remedies, though they said that either option could be selected. Suniva recommends a price floor for all solar modules that starts at 74 cents per watt and declines over the four years of the tariff, as well as tariffs for both modules and the solar cells. SolarWorld said it was seeking a quota of 220 MW on imported cells and 5,700 MW on imported modules.

“Both co-petitioners agree that an effective remedy must include either the co-petitioners’ requested tariff plus Suniva’s requested module floor price or the co-petitioners’ requested tariff plus SolarWorld’s requested quota,” the companies said in a joint statement.

The ITC voted unanimously last week that low-cost imports had harmed the domestic solar manufacturing industry. Under the “safeguard” provisions of the Trade Act, Trump will have the final say in what tariffs to impose. The commission will have a hearing on remedies on Oct. 3.