National Post

Trump tariffs driving boom in solar manufactur­ing in U.S.

But ‘few jobs’ as sector continues to automate

- Brian eckhouse anD chrisTophe­r marTin Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump wanted more U.S. solar manufactur­ing — and now he’s getting it.

Hanwha Q Cells Korea on Wednesday announced it will build a factory in Georgia. JinkoSolar Holding Co. of China is planning one in Florida. And U.S. companies SunPower Corp. and First Solar Inc. say they will boost production in Oregon and Ohio.

In total, companies have announced plans for at least 3.4 gigawatts of new U.S. solar-manufactur­ing capacity since Trump imposed duties on imported panels in January, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That compares to 1.8 gigawatts of capacity in the U.S. at the end of 2017. It remains to be seen whether those factories will create the jobs Trump wanted, but it seems clear companies are responding to his trade policies.

“Absent the Trump tariffs, this wouldn’t be happening,” Jeff Osborne, an analyst at Cowen & Co., said in an interview.

The push for tariffs began in April 2017 when Suniva Inc., a bankrupt Georgiabas­ed panel maker filed a trade complaint arguing it had been crippled by a flood of imports. Trump responded in January, imposing duties of as much as 30 per cent, saying they were necessary to protect American manufactur­ers and create jobs.

While the plants announced by Hanwha and others will boost U.S. production, they’re unlikely to employ armies of workers, analysts said. As panel prices have declined, solar factories have become increasing­ly automated.

“While the Trump Administra­tion will claim this as a win, America’s victory is modest,” said Hugh Bromley, a New York-based analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The profits will flow offshore, and the highlyauto­mated production lines will bring few jobs.”

The White House didn’t immediatel­y respond to a request for comment.

 ?? MARK LENNIHAN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? U.S. firms have announced plans to create at least 3.4 gigawatts of new solar-manufactur­ing capacity.
MARK LENNIHAN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. firms have announced plans to create at least 3.4 gigawatts of new solar-manufactur­ing capacity.

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