US House Fails to Override Biden's Veto of Solar Panel Rule Repeal

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2023) The US House of Representatives failed to override President Joe Biden's veto of legislation that would repeal a Commerce Department rule allowing for the suspension of duties on solar panel imports from four Southeast Asian countries using parts from China.

House lawmakers failed to override the veto, which requires two-thirds of the chamber's support, in a vote of 214-205 on Wednesday evening.

The initial resolution passed by the House last month nullified a Commerce Department rule allowing for suspension of duties on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules that are completed in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam using parts from China.

Last year, the Commerce Department found that solar panel manufacturers were avoiding US tariffs on Chinese goods by routing their products through the Southeast Asian countries. However, Biden waived tariffs on their solar products in an attempt to meet climate goals.

In a veto statement issued earlier this month, Biden said that the United States cannot afford to create "new uncertainty" for businesses and workers in the solar industry.