As Solar Tariff Decision Looms, Sen. Heinrich Says Trump Has Opportunity To Stand Up For American Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement ahead of President Trump's decision on whether to impose tariffs on imported solar panels and modules that would negatively impact the growing solar industry in New Mexico and the American solar industry as a whole. 

“President Trump has an opportunity to actually stand up for American workers. I hope he will look at the bigger picture of the American solar industry and its role as a major employer while making a decision in this case. Hundreds of locally-owned companies, hundreds of thousands of workers, and billions of dollars in investment in communities in New Mexico and across the country hang in the balance. Solar jobs are exactly the types of jobs that we should be encouraging if we are promoting a trade policy that puts American workers first.”

President Trump must decide by January 26 whether to impose tariffs on imported solar panels and cell manufacturers as recommended by the U.S. International Trade Commission. Last year, Senator Heinrich testified before both the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Trade Representative and led a bipartisan letter with Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) urging the ITC to not impose tariffs that would negatively affect the American solar industry.