The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) – a group that works with companies on their expansion and relocation plans – has announced that it is filing a formal letter of protest to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission (ITC) against the tariffs on solar photovoltaic cells and modules made in China.
GPEC says that in recent years, it worked to bring numerous solar companies to Arizona, including China-based Suntech. In addition, the group says there are another dozen Chinese companies with investments totaling $400 million that have identified the Greater Phoenix area as a potential location for their solar projects.
"With such a significant projected national job loss, and with Arizona ranked third in the nation for solar installation capacity, we have no doubt [that] the tariff will not only cause solar companies to alter their business models, but also make future Chinese investment in Arizona more challenging,’ says GPEC President and CEO Barry Broome. ‘This impacts one of our most promising local industries – an industry that's thriving and that leaders in our state have worked diligently to foster.’
GPEC also plans to testify before the ITC at its official hearing of this investigation on Oct. 3. The full letter can be viewed here.
