Trade officials recommended on Tuesday that the United States impose restrictions on solar power equipment purchased from abroad, including tariffs of up to 35 percent, setting the stage for one of President Trump’s first major trade decisions.
The trade case was championed by American solar producers but fought by big buyers of solar panels, like utility companies and home installers, that could be jolted by higher prices if tariffs are imposed.
Four officials from the United States International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency that governs trade, announced a range of recommendations Tuesday aimed at protecting domestic makers of solar equipment from unfairly priced imports, especially from China. Those included limiting the imports of certain solar components and imposing tariffs of 10 percent to 35 percent on certain products.
