WASHINGTON — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today released a statement after five Chinese solar companies—LONGi Green Energy, JinkoSolar, Trina Solar, JA Solar and Risen Energy—issued a statement in a blatant attempt to undermine the Biden administration’s trade enforcement actions and scare the U.S. solar industry into manufacturing a crisis.
Four of these Chinese solar companies were named in an explosive academic report that was released by the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region detailing the widespread use of Uyghur forced labour within the solar industry. The report found that the four largest solar panel suppliers in the world—JinkoSolar, JASolar, TrinaSolar and LONGi—all source from at least one polysilicon manufacturer that is implicated in Uyghur forced labour either through direct participation in forced labour schemes, and/or through their raw material sourcing.
“The Biden administration and Congress should ignore this blatant attempt to manufacture a fake crisis by Chinese solar companies in order to thwart bipartisan efforts to reshore and boost the U.S. domestic solar manufacturing industry,” said Michael Stumo, CEO of CPA. “Instead, policymakers should recognize this fear mongering for what it really is: a coordinated effort to undermine the U.S. government’s lawful trade remedies against Chinese solar imports and attempts to prevent Chinese solar made with forced labor from entering the U.S. market.”
Chinese solar companies, and a Washington special interest group funded by them, have been lobbying the Biden administration and Congress to remove the Section 201 solar tariffs on Chinese solar companies, prevent the Department of Commerce from investigating alleged circumvention of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar imports, and against the Biden administration’s actions aimed at Chinese solar companies’ use of forced labor in Xinjiang. Additionally, a group of 12 Senate Democrats recently sent a letter to the Department of Commerce parroting the talking points of Chinese solar companies and their trade association that lobbies on their behalf.
“Unfortunately, the senators signing that letter are supporting the importation of Chinese solar built on the backs of Uyghur forced labor and produced by coal-fired power plants,” continued Michael Stumo, CEO of CPA. “Thankfully, key officials in the Biden administration recognize this false choice and we have no doubt that they will stay firm in their commitment to growing the U.S. domestic solar manufacturing industry. Congress should swiftly pass Senator Ossoff’s Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act and the Biden administration should continue its lawful trade enforcement against Chinese solar companies.”
