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					</table><p>On the face of it, the U.S. Supreme Court’s judgment striking down Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs may have come as a net positive for clean energy, but uncertainty looms large as the White House can still impose duties using other laws.</p>
<p>The U.S. relies on imports for many renewable energy components, such as solar cells and modules, even as domestic manufacturing capacity is rapidly ramping up. In the near term, there is anticipation that, besides solar panels, prices of battery cells and packs, power transformers, and inverters could go down post the Supreme Court’s invalidation of the country-specific reciprocal tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).</p>
<p>The tariff setback may offer relief to solar exporters such as India and China, but the broader trade environment is likely to remain uncertain as the administration advances its agenda and explores other avenues to impose tariffs.</p>
<p>Despite the setback at the Supreme Court, Trump has ample elbow room to use other tools to impose tariffs, as evidenced by the imposition of a 10% uniform tariff on all imports hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling, which he later raised to 15% under a rarely used trade law. This tariff, however, will remain in force for only 150 days, and any extension will require Congressional approval.</p>
<p>Another law that could come in handy is a provision in the Trade Expansion Act that authorizes the President to impose tariffs on imports deemed to threaten ‘national security,’ a term that can be interpreted broadly. Tariffs under this law will apply to specific products, but more importantly, no rate ceilings will apply.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/US-Article.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-91068 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/US-Article.png" alt="Trump May Use Other Laws to Revive Trade Tariffs After Supreme Court Setback" width="602" height="279" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/US-Article.png 602w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/US-Article-300x139.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/US-Article-600x278.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px" /></a></p>
<p>Then there is Section 301 of the Trade Act, which authorizes the United States Trade Representative (USTR), on the directions of the President, to launch investigations into ‘unfair trade practices’ which can harm U.S. commerce. These investigations, again, can be directed at specific countries, and tariffs resulting from such investigations will not have the same effect as the tariffs imposed under IEEPA. In December 2024, USTR <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-to-increase-tariffs-wafers-polysilicon-to-50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> 50% tariffs on Chinese solar wafers and polysilicon and 25% on certain tungsten products under Section 301.</p>
<p>For now, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced it will stop collecting tariffs imposed under IEEPA from February 24.</p>
<p>For countries that have already signed or announced handshake agreements, the Supreme Court judgment presents both risks and opportunities. India, for instance, was to legalize an interim deal announced early this month. The two sides were scheduled to meet this week to finalize the agreement, but that has now been postponed. There is no word on when that would happen.</p>
<p>This opens the door for India to renegotiate the terms to its advantage. The U.S., on its part, said it expects its partners to stick with the deals agreed upon. Speaking on the issue, Trump said there would be no change in the U.S. deal with China, even after the Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal tariffs. “Nothing changes. They&#8217;ll (India) be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs,” he said.</p>
<p>Indian solar exporters were <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-module-export-hopes-rekindle-on-us-india-trade-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upbeat</a> after Trump brought down tariffs from 25% to 18%. They may have reason for further cheer now, even as policy uncertainty continues to cloud the outlook.</p>
<p>“The only certainty right now is continued tariff uncertainty. Manufacturers should not plan long-term export strategies based solely on the Supreme Court ruling. There is no guarantee the U.S. will not reimpose tariffs in another form at any time. This still has a long way to play out before we have clarity on where the final tariffs will land and at what rates,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.</p>



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					</table><p>The announcement of the U.S.-India trade deal, under which Indian exports will attract a 18% tariff instead of 25%, is expected to bring relief to Indian solar exporters.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that he had spoken with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that the two countries had agreed to a trade pact under which Indian exports would now be subject to 18% tariff.</p>
<p><span data-teams="true">The solar industry welcomed the new reduced tariff, ending months of uncertainty. Indian solar manufacturers have traditionally relied on the U.S. as their largest market for solar cells and modules.</span></p>
<p>A senior executive at an integrated renewable energy solutions company said Indian manufacturers have enough capacity to set up a reliable non-Chinese alternative supply chain for solar modules and cells. He added it was also time for the U.S. to drop the antidumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations initiated against Indian exporters.</p>
<p>“India must negotiate with the U.S. to ensure that the investigation is withdrawn, because there is no truth in the allegations that Indian companies are indulging in unfair trade practices.”</p>
<p>Prashant Mathur, CEO at <a href="https://saatvikgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saatvik Green Energy</a>, a solar module manufacturer, termed the U.S. as a strategic turning point for the solar sector, rather than just a routine policy change. &#8220;It alleviates long-standing concerns about Chinese producers circumventing tariffs and positions India as a credible and dependable alternative manufacturing base that aligns with U.S. trade and industrial objectives. For companies like Saatvik, this transforms the U.S. market from being high-risk to one full of opportunities.”</p>
<p>Amit Barve, CEO at <a href="https://rayzonsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rayzon Solar</a>, concurred. “There is immense demand in the U.S., and Indian companies can benefit because of the competitive advantage they enjoy.” He also hoped the U.S. would drop the AD/CVD investigations initiated against Indian exporters. “I believe no Indian company is selling below cost in the U.S.”</p>
<p>Solar companies said the U.S.-India trade deal strengthens India’s position as a reliable energy exporter and provides a powerful runway to scale exports.</p>
<p>According to Gynaesh Chaudhary, Chairman &amp; Managing Director at <a href="https://www.vikramsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vikram Solar</a>, “Indian energy and clean-tech exports to the U.S. have always played an instrumental role in the industry, and this agreement significantly enhances our global competitiveness by improving price efficiency, certainty of access, and long-term demand visibility.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-89874 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12.png" alt="India: Annual Solar Module Exports (MW) " width="1025" height="558" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12.png 1025w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12-300x163.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12-768x418.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12-650x354.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12-624x340.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-12-600x327.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1025px) 100vw, 1025px" /></a></p>
<p>Last August, concerns arose among Indian exporters after the Donald Trump administration first slapped a 25% tariff on Indian goods and then imposed a 25% punitive tariff for Indian purchases of Russian oil.</p>
<p>At an effective tariff of 50%, Indian exports became uncompetitive overnight. In contrast, other solar exporting nations – Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia – enjoyed tariffs of less than 20%. Solar exporters faced the prospect of losing their largest market.</p>
<p>Over the last two quarters, Indian cell and module manufacturers have trained their sights on alternative markets, such as Europe and the Middle East, to offset potential losses in the U.S. market. Indian companies were also exploring the UK as a destination for solar product exports. While they had the benefit of zero duty, the UK market is not big enough to absorb much of what they manufacture.</p>
<p>Adding to the uncertainty over exports, Trump’s tariff salvo <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indian-solar-exporters-eye-alternative-markets-post-trumps-50-tariff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coincided</a> with trade petitions filed in the U.S. against Indian solar companies. Several American companies filed petitions seeking AD/CVD investigations into solar imports from India. They alleged that Indian companies were engaging in illegal trade practices by undercutting the U.S. solar manufacturing industry and flooding the market with cheaper imports.</p>
<p>Even so, the U.S. <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indias-solar-exports-up-65-in-q3-2025-imports-down-15-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remained</a> the top market for Indian solar manufacturers even as late as the third quarter of 2025, when the country accounted for 97% of exports.</p>
<p>The full details of the trade agreement announced by Trump and acknowledged by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not yet available beyond their social media posts. Trump has hinted that the deal is incumbent on India ending its purchases of Russian oil, slashing tariffs and non-tariff barriers to zero, and buying U.S. goods, including energy, worth $500 billion. India has been silent on these conditions.</p>


Solar Module Export Hopes Rekindle on US-India Trade Agreement


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					</table><p>Close on the heels of a similar agreement with the European Union, the United States and Japan have agreed on a trade deal for critical minerals used in clean energy technologies.</p>
<p>The agreement is intended to help Japan meet sourcing requirements for new electric vehicle (EV) subsidies in the U.S. and reduce reliance on China for strategic resources.</p>
<p>The agreement includes refraining from imposing export duties on key rare earth minerals like lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and graphite and sharing information on potential labor violations in the supply chain.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today&#8217;s announcement is proof of President Biden&#8217;s commitment to building resilient and secure supply chains,&#8221;<strong> </strong>said Ambassador Katherine Tai.<strong> </strong> &#8220;Japan is one of our most valued trading partners and this agreement will enable us to deepen our existing bilateral relationship.  This is a welcome moment as the United States continues to work with our allies and partners to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, including through the Inflation Reduction Act.&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the U.S. and EU <u><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-eu-agreement-sourcing-minerals-ev-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a></u> on immediately beginning negotiations on a deal on critical minerals used in the EV battery supply chain. The EU had earlier criticized the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as protectionist.</p>
<p>The U.S.-Japan agreement also aims to address non-market policies and practices of other countries affecting trade in critical minerals and practices regarding reviewing investments in the minerals sector by foreign entities.</p>
<p>The Biden administration is exploring minerals-focused trade deals to grant access to trusted allies to the $7,500 per vehicle EV tax credits established in IRA.</p>
<p>Under the current rules, half of the tax credit for purchasing consumers is reserved for North American-assembled vehicles and batteries. This provision has created significant tension with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, who fear that their car and battery manufacturers will become uncompetitive.</p>
<p>The other half of the tax credit depends on the critical minerals used in the battery&#8217;s production. Specifically, at least 40% of the critical mineral value in the battery must have been extracted or processed in the U.S. or a country with a U.S. free trade agreement or recycled in North America.</p>


US, Japan Strike Trade Deal on Critical Minerals for EV Batteries

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