CNBC's Sullivan: We'll Have to Choose Between Climate Goals and Concerns over China's Human Rights Abuses and Bad Economic Practices

On Monday’s broadcast of CNBC’s “Last Call,” host Brian Sullivan stated that with the solar industry, “it’s either buy from China with potential human rights violations or pray the U.S. solar industry can ramp up fast enough to meet demand, something that even the industry itself says may simply be impossible,” and that while we need solar to meet climate goals, the vote on tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels will be a vote on “is it worth it to put in the solar if it’s at the expense of potential human rights violations and dumping and anti-competitive practices?”

Sullivan said, “China controls most of the world’s solar panel business, about 80%. Now, right now, there are U.S. tariffs on those [Chinese-made solar panels], which has made them much more expensive for American companies to buy and roll out to you. And there are real concerns, both here and in Europe…that many of these solar panels or parts for them are actually made in forced labor camps. Now, keep in mind that solar is a huge part of the president’s $300-plus billion climate spending bill, and later this month, the House will vote about whether to keep those tariffs on or let them expire. It’s going to be a massive vote, because the American solar industry says if the tariffs remain, it could gut their business and make it impossible to meet those climate goals. So, the bottom line, at least in that industry, for now, is that it’s either buy from China with potential human rights violations or pray the U.S. solar industry can ramp up fast enough to meet demand, something that even the industry itself says may simply be impossible, particularly with those tariffs.”

Later, he added, “If you want to accomplish climate goals, you’re going to need solar, but is it worth it to put in the solar if it’s at the expense of potential human rights violations and dumping and anti-competitive practices? That’s the moral sort of almost legal question that Congress is going to have to answer next week or whenever it may be with this vote on the tariffs.”

 Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett