WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced he will vote in favor of congressional action to overturn the Biden Administration’s suspension of tariffs on Chinese solar product importers to level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers. The Department of Commerce (DOC) released preliminary findings that Chinese solar panel producers – operating in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam – are circumventing U.S. trade law meant to protect American businesses and workers by routing their products through Southeast Asia.

“I’ve fought my whole career to stand up for Ohio manufacturers and Ohio workers when they’re forced to compete with cheap, unfairly subsidized imports – I’m not going to stop now. The Chinese government will do anything to undermine American manufacturing, and would like nothing more than to kill the American solar manufacturing industry before it takes off. Ohio is ready to lead in the manufacturing industries of the future – we must not put that progress at risk,” said Brown. “The president got this one wrong. I’ve always stood up to presidents of both parties to fight for fair trade and a level playing field for Ohio workers, which is why I will support Congressional action to end the Administration’s waiver of solar tariffs.”

Brown has been a leader in fighting for domestic solar manufacturers, including First Solar, which employs more than 2,000 in Northwest Ohio. In May 2022, Brown called on President Biden to allow a Commerce Department investigation into whether Chinese companies were circumventing antidumping and countervailing duties to continue. In December, that investigation revealed that four leading Chinese solar-cell manufacturers circumvented U.S. tariffs by routing some of their operations through Southeast Asia. Last month, Brown urged President Biden to rescind the suspension of market-balancing tariffs on Chinese solar product importers in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam to level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers and give them the opportunity to better compete in the global economy.

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