NEW DELHI, FEB 25: The United States dropped a bombshell on India’s solar sector Tuesday, hitting crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells (and modules) with a whopping preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 125.87%—accusing New Delhi of unfairly subsidizing exports that flooded their market.
Separate CVD rates were also announced for Indonesia and Laos in the US Commerce Department’s probe. This comes atop Trump’s blanket 10% tariffs on all nations from Feb 24, but targets “unfair” state aid propping up cheap imports.
Solar shipments from India to the US skyrocketed—from $83.86 million in 2022 to $792.6 million in 2024—sparking the complaint. Final CVD call due July 6, 2026; anti-dumping probes run parallel.
CVDs shield US firms from subsidized foreign competition, hitting India’s green export ambitions hard amid global trade tensions. Commerce Ministry yet to respond—expect pushback as panels, cells face export crunch.
Ouch for Make in India solar dreams!
