U.S. to Probe Whether Asian Factories Are Evading Solar Tariffs

The tariffs at issue date back to 2012, when the U.S. imposed duties on solar cells and modules from China under then-President Barack Obama

(Bloomberg) — The U.S. is launching an investigation into whether Chinese solar-equipment manufacturers are evading tariffs by sending components to other Asian nations for assembly before exporting the finished products.

The U.S. Commerce Department opened the probe at the request of by Auxin Solar Inc., a small California panel maker. It marks the first formal step in an investigation that could span a year and culminate in expanded duties on the imports.