United States: The Biden administration is being cautioned by Republicans for not putting green energy targets in place before imposing federal import sanctions aimed at curbing alleged human rights violations in China.
The directives from Republican Representatives Mike Gallagher and Chris Smith as well as Senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton indicate tighter oversight of the matter after the Republican Party took control of the House in January.
Imports of solar panels and other equipment needed for renewable energy projects are already being hit by trade restrictions in the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, potentially at the expense of clean energy objectives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
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The lawmakers wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the acting director of US Customs and Border Protection saying, "We urge you to fully enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), especially when it comes to forced solar panels made by labor, which would receive subsidies, grants and tax credits under the IRA."American taxpayers cannot be allowed to fund the effective enslavement of Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups."
According to the one-year-old UFLPA, anything the US government believes was made with forced labor in the Chinese manufacturing hub of Xinjiang and is therefore barred from entering the US.
If businesses can present "clear and convincing evidence" that the goods are free of force majeure, they may be exempted. China denies allegations that it forced hundreds of thousands of detainees, mostly Uighur Muslims or other minorities, to work against their will in Xinjiang.
In addition, the province is a significant producer of polysilicon, the metal found in most modern solar panels. Additionally, hundreds of shipments containing solar equipment have already been intercepted and held back as a result of the sanctions.
According to the American Clean Power Association (ACPA), some exporters have already halted shipments to the US due to concerns that they will be placed at the border, which has led to a reduction in renewable energy installations and the cancellation of new projects. has given.
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Solar panels have been evaluated under the UFLPA for over four months, but none have been rejected; Instead, they are still in a review process with no end in sight, according to a statement released Monday by ACPA interim president Jason Clarke.
The province also produces a significant amount of polysilicon, the metal used in the majority of contemporary solar panels. Furthermore, hundreds of shipments containing solar equipment have already been intercepted and held back as a result of the sanctions.
The American Clean Power Association (ACPA) claims that the reduction in renewable energy installations and the cancellation of new projects has resulted in some exporters holding back shipments to the US out of concern that they will be stopped at the border.
According to a statement made available Monday by ACPA's interim president, solar panels have been evaluated under the UFLPA for more than four months, but none have been rejected; Rather, they are still going through a review process with no end in sight.
The House Republican leadership has already indicated increased monitoring of China-related issues in 2019. If the Speaker of the House is elected,
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Representative Kevin McCarthy has said he will create a select committee on China as an evolution of the Republican-only task force he established in 2020. Gallagher also participated in that task force.