Early this year, a small manufacturer in northern California called Auxin Solar petitioned the U.S. Commerce Department to investigate solar panels imported from Southeast Asia. Those imports, the petition contended, were essentially being made in China before being rerouted through nearby countries to avoid U.S. duties on Chinese solar imports. That’s called circumvention, it’s a no-no, and most of the solar energy industry in the United States freaked out in response.
