Ongoing U.S. tariffs on solar imports could stall ASEAN’s clean energy shift. (Photo: iStock)
Southeast Asia’s clean energy industry is bracing for its third major setback, as U.S. tariffs intensify pressure on the wind and solar supply chains.
The compounded tariff impact threatens to shrink component exports and further discourage reinvestment in the sector—particularly in countries heavily reliant on U.S. markets such as Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
U.S. tariffs undermine Malaysia’s solar industry
Nithi Nesadurai, Director of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, described the latest series of U.S. actions—including withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, cuts to USAID climate financing, and increased tariffs—as a "triple whammy" against ASEAN’s clean energy transition. According to Nesadurai, these tariffs worsen already volatile conditions in developing countries, especially those in Southeast Asia.
