US-China trade tensions hit Southeast Asia’s solar industry, impact EU

US tariffs on Southeast Asian solar panel exports may disrupt Chinese-owned solar companies in the region, complicating the EU’s solar expansion efforts.

David Hutt reports for Deutsche Welle.

In short:

Southeast Asian solar producers face rising US tariffs, which could reduce solar panel exports to the US.
Chinese solar firms in the region have scaled back operations, affecting the EU’s solar manufacturing ambitions.
Some manufacturers are shifting production to other Southeast Asian nations not currently facing tariffs, like Indonesia and Laos.

Key quote:

"Southeast Asian solar panels could flood the EU market as they are squeezed out of the US."

— Indra Overland, head of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs' Center for Energy Research

Why this matters:

US tariffs could undermine the EU's solar industry by increasing competition from Southeast Asia. These shifts may also reshape global solar supply chains, influencing renewable energy access worldwide.

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