So, like, there’s this whole thing going on with the US slapping these crazy high tariffs on Chinese solar companies that have factories in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. And guess what? Some of these companies are thinking about moving their operations to Indonesia now. Apparently, Indonesia is like the shining star in the region or something, but experts are saying that it might not stay that way for long.
In April, President Trump’s administration decided to hit these Chinese firms with tariffs that can go up to 3,500 percent on solar components being exported from those four Southeast Asian countries. The reason? Well, they’re accusing the Chinese companies of using these other countries as a way to get around previous trade restrictions. Sneaky, right?
But get this – Indonesia and Laos haven’t been hit with these tariffs. So, some Chinese-owned solar companies are looking to set up shop there to avoid dealing with all the drama from the US. Recently, there have been new investments coming in from these Chinese companies looking to bypass the American trade barriers.
At this event called Solartech Indonesia 2025, which happened in Jakarta last week, a bunch of Chinese firms were all over the place. Companies like Jinko Solar and Trina Solar were showing off their stuff. And apparently, there have been at least four new solar projects in Indonesia and Laos that are linked to Chinese companies. There are even two more projects in the works. They’re all trying to produce a whopping 22.9 gigawatts of solar power, mainly for the good ol’ US of A.
Some of the big players in this game are Thornova Solar, which is actually a US-based company but owned by China’s Yuncheng Solar Technology. Then there’s New East Solar, another Chinese-connected firm, and Lesso Group, a Chinese giant that’s famous for making industrial stuff.
So, it looks like these Chinese solar companies are making moves to Indonesia to avoid all the drama with the US tariffs. Who knows what’s going to happen next?
And that’s the scoop on the whole solar tariff situation. Who knew things could get so crazy in the world of renewable energy, right? But hey, that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.
