Ontario — The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) applauds the Government of Canada’s work to successfully lift United States tariffs on Canadian solar products, as announced in a statement from Global Affairs Canada.
“The removal of these tariffs is wonderful news for Canada’s solar energy sector, and a major step forward for North American collaboration amid the ongoing clean energy transition,” said Robert Hornung, President and CEO of CanREA.
“Empowering the renewable energy industry is integral to the fight against climate change,” Hornung said.
CanREA says the safeguard tariffs, introduced in early 2018 by former U.S. President Donald Trump, have since affected exports of solar products from Canada to the United States (declined by as much as 82%).
On Thursday, July 7, International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced that Canada had agreed with the U.S. to remove the tariffs, which were in violation of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) at a CUSMA dispute panel earlier this year.
CanREA adds that the agreement will bolster Canada’s renewable energy manufacturing sector, encouraging further investment and strengthening Canada’s solar manufacturing capacity.
“Through its years-long fight to successfully remove these tariffs, the federal government has shown it is willing to stand up for Canada’s solar sector and its workers,” said Nicholas Gall, Ontario Director at CanREA.
“CanREA firmly believes that with the right trade policies in place, Canadian manufacturers can make an even greater contribution to serving the global supply chains that will power the clean energy transition,” Gall said.
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