US imposes 126% duty on Indian solar imports, hits Adani and Waaree
US imposes 126% duty on Indian solar imports, hits Adani and Waaree
The US levies a 126% tariff on Indian solar cells, with Indonesia and Laos also targeted, as part of a subsidy dispute shaping renewables trade.
The Trump administration has imposed duties of 126% on imports of solar cells from India following a preliminary determination that subsidised exports from Indian companies were hurting the competitiveness of American solar companies and contravened World Trade Organization agreements on subsidies. These tariffs were collectively imposed on February 24 on India, Indonesia and Laos following an investigation that began on August 7, 2025 by the U.S. Department of Commerce after a July 7, 2025 complaint by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade (AASMT), a coalition of leading solar manufacturers.
The Indian companies named under the Commerce Ministry’s radar include Mundra Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. and Mundra Solar PV Ltd., both part of the Adani Group, Premier Energies Photovoltaic Private Limited (Premier) and Waaree Energies Ltd. and Waaree Solar Americas. Beyond India, the department set initial rates ranging from 86% to 143% for Indonesia and 81% for Laos. This latest U.S. levy comes after New Delhi and Washington agreed on a framework for the India-U.S. trade deal to reduce tariffs on India’s exports to 18% from 50% earlier.
After this, the U.S. Supreme Court quashed Trump tariffs, calling them unconstitutional. President Trump then proposed a new 10% baseline duty on several imports. On February 24, per a notice on the U.S. Commerce Ministry site, the Adani companies were specifically named with a duty rate of 125.87% though these rates, as of now, apply to all Indian exporters. The impact on India’s solar exports could be significant given the U.S. was a major destination for solar components. A spokesperson for Solex Energy Limited, a Surat-based solar manufacturer, said: “There will be an impact as the U.S. is a major export destination. How much still needs to be assessed.”
