U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s latest move to shun foreign solar power equipment is part of his effort to rebuild U.S. manufacturing clout. It may simultaneously exacerbate the fast-widening green technology split between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Trump announced a plan to impose tariffs and minimum prices on imported polysilicon used in semicondictors and solar panels. The levy comes a week after the Federal Communications Commission tightened curbs on inverters, another vital component of solar-powered energy.
Such protections can encourage the growth of domestic manufacturing ¡ª but as multiple economies have found over decades, restrictions often come at a financial and technological cost.
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