Proposed tariffs could let Trump crush the solar industry
By Jeremy Deaton
Trade officials are weighing new tariffs on imported solar cells that, if passed, would send shockwaves through the industry. By blocking the influx of cheap panels from overseas, tariffs would stunt demand for solar, dealing a critical blow to U.S. installers. By one estimate one-third of the solar workforce could lose their jobs.
We’ve actually run this experiment before. It didn’t turn out well.
In 2002, George W. Bush imposed heavy tariffs on steel imports. For the president, who was otherwise a champion of free trade, this was a politically motivated decision, intended shore up support among steelworkers in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. It didn’t work as intended.
The European Union threatened to retaliate by imposing sanctions on imports from other swing states—including Tropicana orange juice from Florida and Harley Davidson motorcycles from Wisconsin. And the United Steelworkers of America didn’t take the bait. They endorsed Democrat Dick Gephardt for president.
https://thinkprogress.org/proposed-tariffs-could-let-trump-crush-the-solar-industry-23a946520fe4
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