The Suniva-SolarWorld request for protection was opposed by much of the domestic U.S. solar industry. Tariffs that make solar panels more expensive, and thus discourage their use, will cause 23,000 installers, engineers and project managers to lose their jobs this year as billions of dollars in planned investment evaporates, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Up to one third of the 260,000 Americans currently employed in the industry are at risk because of the tariffs, the group says.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The Republican's decision followed recommendations for tariffs by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

"The president's action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years. For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

China accused Trump of jeopardizing the multilateral trading system by taking action on complaints under U.S. law instead of through the World Trade Organization.

"The U.S. side once again abused its trade remedy measures," said a Commerce Ministry statement. "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction with this."

Mexico said Trump's decision not to exclude it from the measures was "regrettable."

"Mexico will use all available legal resources in response to the U.S. decision to apply protections on Mexican washing machines and solar panels," its Economy Department said in a statement.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought last year by Suniva Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany's SolarWorld.

They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse. Nearly 30 U.S. solar-manufacturing facilities had closed in the past five years, they said, as China plotted to flood the global market with cheap products to weaken U.S. manufacturing.

Suniva spokesman Mark Paustenbach called tariffs "a step forward for this high-tech solar-manufacturing industry we pioneered right here in America."

However, solar installers and manufacturers of other equipment used to run solar-power systems opposed tariffs, which they said will raise their prices and hurt demand for the renewable energy.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents installation companies, said billions of dollars of solar investment will be delayed or canceled, leading to the loss of 23,000 jobs this year.

Mark Bortman, founder of Exact Solar in Philadelphia, said the prospect of tariffs, since the trade commission recommended them in October, had already caused him to delay hiring and expansion plans.

"Solar is really just starting to take off because it is truly a win-win-win situation" for consumers, workers and the environment, he said. "Tariffs would really be shooting ourselves in the foot."

The case for tariffs on washing machines was pushed by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. The company's chairman, Jeff Fettig, said tariffs on imported machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike," Fettig said. "By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts."

But U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, said Republicans need to understand that tariffs are a tax on consumers.

"Moms and dads shopping on a budget for a new washing machine will pay for this — not big companies," Sasse said in a statement.

Suniva, SolarWorld and Whirlpool were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Up to certain levels, imports of solar cells will be exempt from the tariff, while the first 1.2 million imported large washing machines will get a lower tariff, peaking at 20 percent.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump's decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization.</s>The founder of the World Economic Forum hopes President Donald Trump's planned visit to a gathering of world decision-makers and elites in Davos later this week will "provide him even better with a global perspective.".

The founder of the World Economic Forum hopes President Donald Trump's planned visit to a gathering of world decision-makers and elites in Davos later this week will "provide him even better with a global...

AP Analysis: Trump's promises to separate his businesses from his presidency left plenty of room for profiting.

AP Analysis: Trump's promises to separate his businesses from his presidency left plenty of room for profiting.

The president on Monday approved recommendations by the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose the tariffs. (Source: CNN)

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Monday approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The Republican's decision followed recommendations for tariffs by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

"The president's action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years. For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

China accused Trump of jeopardizing the multilateral trading system by taking action on complaints under U.S. law instead of through the World Trade Organization.

"The U.S. side once again abused its trade remedy measures," said a Commerce Ministry statement. "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction with this."

Mexico said Trump's decision not to exclude it from the measures was "regrettable."

"Mexico will use all available legal resources in response to the U.S. decision to apply protections on Mexican washing machines and solar panels," its Economy Department said in a statement.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought last year by Suniva Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany's SolarWorld.

They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse. Nearly 30 U.S. solar-manufacturing facilities had closed in the past five years, they said, as China plotted to flood the global market with cheap products to weaken U.S. manufacturing.

Suniva spokesman Mark Paustenbach called tariffs "a step forward for this high-tech solar-manufacturing industry we pioneered right here in America."

However, solar installers and manufacturers of other equipment used to run solar-power systems opposed tariffs, which they said will raise their prices and hurt demand for the renewable energy.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents installation companies, said billions of dollars of solar investment will be delayed or canceled, leading to the loss of 23,000 jobs this year.

Mark Bortman, founder of Exact Solar in Philadelphia, said the prospect of tariffs, since the trade commission recommended them in October, had already caused him to delay hiring and expansion plans.

"Solar is really just starting to take off because it is truly a win-win-win situation" for consumers, workers and the environment, he said. "Tariffs would really be shooting ourselves in the foot."

The case for tariffs on washing machines was pushed by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. The company's chairman, Jeff Fettig, said tariffs on imported machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike," Fettig said. "By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts."

But U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, said Republicans need to understand that tariffs are a tax on consumers.

"Moms and dads shopping on a budget for a new washing machine will pay for this - not big companies," Sasse said in a statement.

Suniva, SolarWorld and Whirlpool were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Up to certain levels, imports of solar cells will be exempt from the tariff, while the first 1.2 million imported large washing machines will get a lower tariff, peaking at 20 percent.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump's decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines (all times local):

President Donald Trump is approving tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The administration cast Monday's decisions as part of Trump's pledge to put American companies and jobs first.

The administration is imposing an immediate tariff of 30 on most imported solar modules, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years.

For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 and phase out after three years.

The U.S. solar industry is split over the issue. Two small subsidiaries of foreign companies that made solar cells in the U.S. tariffs, but a larger number of companies that install solar-power systems say their costs will rise and jobs will be lost.</s>WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines.

The announcement marks President Trump’s first major trade action of 2018 and follows his campaign promise to get tough on America’s trading partners.

A tariff, or tax, of 30% will be applied to imported solar panels, most of which come from China. Tariffs will begin at 20% on large residential washing machines, according to the announcement Monday from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“The President’s action makes clear again that the Trump Administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” Lighthizer said in a statement.

The decision comes after the independent U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that imports of solar panels and washers had hurt American companies.

It also carries some symbolism: Lighthizer’s team resumes NAFTA negotiations on Tuesday with its counterparts from Mexico and Canada. Later this week, Trump himself is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event for global elites who promote free trade and oppose protectionist measures like tariffs.

Lighthizer also recently started to renegotiate a trade agreement between South Korea and the United States that he and Trump blame for increasing the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

In these two cases, the Trump administration invoked a trade law from 1974 that was last used in 2001. The law allowed Trump to raise tariffs as high as he wanted.

“The administration could have gone well beyond what the ITC recommended and imposed far more crippling tariffs,” said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “This will do some harm to some harm to solar installation, but it’s not going to shut down the industry.”

The solar panel tariff is a blow to China, the primary country from which the U.S. imports solar panels. But it also could put some U.S. jobs at risk. Most of the American jobs related to solar panels involve installation, not manufacturing.

Related: Solar panels: A fight with China that Trump may want to avoid

Overall, about 260,000 Americans work in the solar industry, up 24% from 2015, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

A separate advocacy organization, the Solar Energy Industries Association, warned before the tariffs were announced that such an action would put 48,000 to 63,000 American solar industry workers out of a job this year.

“This reckless decision will threaten tens of thousands of American jobs and hurt our climate,” Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit based in Arizona, said in a statement.

U.S. solar panel manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld filed a petition last year with the ITC to investigate the sale of solar panels marketed well below typical U.S. prices. The practice is known as “dumping.”

Americans could ultimately pay the price of the solar tariffs, Alden noted.

“If you were thinking about installing solar in your house, it’s going to become a little less attractive…the cost of solar installation will go up a bit,” says Alden. He added: “In all likelihood this will be a net jobs negative.”

Prices of washing machines could soon go up for Americans, too.

South Korea and Mexico are the biggest losers from the washing machine tariffs. Those countries export the bulk of washers to the United States. Much of the production in the two countries is under the umbrella of South Korean giants Samsung and LG.

For the first 1.2 million washers imported to the United States, the tariff will be 20%. After that, it goes up to 50%.

American washing machine maker Whirlpool had filed a petition going back to 2011, accusing LG and Samsung of selling their washers at prices below the average in the U.S. market.

Whirlpool said the Trump administration’s action would result in more manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig said in a statement.

The tariffs may serve as a harbinger for other upcoming trade decisions. Trump has less than 90 days to decide whether to apply tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, not to mention whether he will withdraw the United States from NAFTA.</s>WASHINGTON DC — The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines.

The announcement marks President Trump’s first major trade action of 2018 and follows his campaign promise to get tough on America’s trading partners.

A tariff, or tax, of 30% will be applied to imported solar panels, most of which come from China. Tariffs will begin at 20% on large residential washing machines, according to the announcement Monday from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“The President’s action makes clear again that the Trump Administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” Lighthizer said in a statement.

The decision comes after the independent U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that imports of solar panels and washers had hurt American companies. Tariffs will be in place for three years and will taper down.

Alan Deardorff, a trade expert at the University of Michigan, said these temporary tariffs are meant to provide “breathing room” for industries trying to adjust to a surge in foreign competition.

Trump’s tariffs also carry some symbolism: Lighthizer’s team resumes NAFTA negotiations on Tuesday with its counterparts from Mexico and Canada. Later this week, Trump himself is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event for global elites who promote free trade and oppose protectionist measures like tariffs.

Lighthizer also recently started to renegotiate a trade agreement between South Korea and the United States that he and Trump blame for increasing the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

In these two cases, the Trump administration invoked a trade law from 1974 that was last used in 2001. The law allowed Trump to raise tariffs as high as he wanted.

“The administration could have gone well beyond what the ITC recommended and imposed far more crippling tariffs,” said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “This will do some harm to solar installation, but it’s not going to shut down the industry.”

The solar panel tariff is a blow to China, the primary country from which the U.S. imports solar panels. But it also could put some U.S. jobs at risk. Most of the American jobs related to solar panels involve installation, not manufacturing.

Overall, about 260,000 Americans work in the solar industry, up 24% from 2015, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

A separate advocacy organization, the Solar Energy Industries Association, warned before the tariffs were announced that such an action would put 48,000 to 63,000 American solar industry workers out of a job this year.

“This reckless decision will threaten tens of thousands of American jobs and hurt our climate,” Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit based in Arizona, said in a statement.

The American Council on Renewable Energy said the tariff would cause electricity prices to rise.

U.S. solar panel manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld filed a petition last year with the ITC to investigate the sale of solar panels marketed well below typical U.S. prices. The practice is known as “dumping.” In a statement, Suniva thanked Trump.

Americans could ultimately pay the price of the solar tariffs, Alden noted.

“If you were thinking about installing solar in your house, it’s going to become a little less attractive…the cost of solar installation will go up a bit,” says Alden. He added: “In all likelihood this will be a net jobs negative.”

Prices of washing machines could soon go up for Americans, too.

South Korea and Mexico are the biggest losers from the washing machine tariffs. Those countries export the bulk of washers to the United States. Much of the production in the two countries is under the umbrella of South Korean giants Samsung and LG.

In a statement, Samsung said consumers will pay more for washing machines. It noted that it has hired 600 workers at a new plant in South Carolina to make washing machines. LG also added that it was disappointed in what it called a “misguided decision” by Trump.

For the first 1.2 million washers imported to the United States, the tariff will be 20%. After that, it goes up to 50%.

“Anybody who is thinking about buying a washing machine should do it right away,” said Gary Hufbauer, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “The washing machine prices will probably be fully reflected in a couple months.”

American washing machine maker Whirlpool had filed a petition going back to 2011, accusing LG and Samsung of selling their washers at prices below the average in the U.S. market.

Whirlpool said the Trump administration’s action would result in more manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig said in a statement.

The tariffs may serve as a harbinger for other upcoming trade decisions. Trump has less than 90 days to decide whether to apply tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, not to mention whether he will withdraw the United States from NAFTA.

Experts said Trump’s message to other American companies looking for help against foreign competitors is clear.

“If you’re an industry that is finding pressure from imports causing you difficulty, come to Uncle Trump, he’ll take care of you,” Hufbauer said.</s>Pledging to defend American businesses and workers, President Trump imposed tariffs on imported solar panel components and large residential washing machines on Monday.

In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that, after consulting with the interagency Trade Policy Committee and the bipartisan U.S. International Trade Commission, the president decided that "increased foreign imports of washers and solar cells and modules are a substantial cause of serious injury to domestic manufacturers."

The administration approved tariffs of 20 percent on the first 1.2 million washers and 50 percent of all subsequent imported washers in the following two years.

A 30 percent tariff will be imposed on solar panel components, with the rate declining over four years.

The move against imported solar components splits the solar panel industry with manufacturers favoring the tariffs as a necessary step to save domestic subsidiary companies, while installers oppose them as job-killers.

Two domestic manufacturers, Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based Solar-World, who have complained about competing with cheaper panels produced in Asia, stand to benefit from the tariffs. According to Bloomberg, Suniva has a Chinese majority owner and Solar-World is a unit of the German manufacturer SolarWorld AG.

"SolarWorld laid off much of its workforce and Suniva was forced into bankruptcy, even as U.S. solar panel installations grew dramatically in recent years. That growth was largely attributed to the cheaper panels from overseas. Solar panel prices have fallen by more than 70 percent since 2010, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. For many homeowners installing solar panels has become more affordable, but now the industry's main trade group worries that if prices go up the installation boom could come to a halt."

The CEO and President of SolarWorld Americas Inc., Juergen Stein, praised the administration's action in a statement:

But representatives for the sector of the industry that actually installs solar panels criticized the move, saying that making imported solar components more costly will likely dampen demand for solar panels.

The President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Abigail Ross Hopper, predicted the tariffs lead to the loss of roughly 23,000 American jobs this year.</s>Pledging to defend American businesses and workers, President Trump imposed tariffs on imported solar panel components and large residential washing machines on Monday.

In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that, after consulting with the interagency Trade Policy Committee and the bipartisan U.S. International Trade Commission, the president decided that "increased foreign imports of washers and solar cells and modules are a substantial cause of serious injury to domestic manufacturers."

The administration approved tariffs of 20 percent on the first 1.2 million washers and 50 percent of all subsequent imported washers in the following two years.

A 30 percent tariff will be imposed on solar panel components, with the rate declining over four years.

The move against imported solar components splits the solar panel industry with manufacturers favoring the tariffs as a necessary step to save domestic subsidiary companies, while installers oppose them as job-killers.

Two domestic manufacturers, Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based Solar-World, who have complained about competing with cheaper panels produced in Asia, stand to benefit from the tariffs. According to Bloomberg, Suniva has a Chinese majority owner and Solar-World is a unit of the German manufacturer SolarWorld AG.

"SolarWorld laid off much of its workforce and Suniva was forced into bankruptcy, even as U.S. solar panel installations grew dramatically in recent years. That growth was largely attributed to the cheaper panels from overseas. Solar panel prices have fallen by more than 70 percent since 2010, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. For many homeowners installing solar panels has become more affordable, but now the industry's main trade group worries that if prices go up the installation boom could come to a halt."



The CEO and President of SolarWorld Americas Inc., Juergen Stein, praised the administration's action in a statement:



"SolarWorld Americas appreciates the hard work of President Trump, the U.S. Trade Representative, and this administration in reaching today's decision, and the President's recognition of the importance of solar manufacturing to America's economic and national security. We are still reviewing these remedies, and are hopeful they will be enough to address the import surge and to rebuild solar manufacturing in the United States."



But representatives for the sector of the industry that actually installs solar panels criticized the move, saying that making imported solar components more costly will likely dampen demand for solar panels.

The President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Abigail Ross Hopper, predicted the tariffs lead to the loss of roughly 23,000 American jobs this year.



"While tariffs in this case will not create adequate cell or module manufacturing to meet U.S. demand, or keep foreign-owned Suniva and SolarWorld afloat, they will create a crisis in a part of our economy that has been thriving, which will ultimately cost tens of thousands of hard-working, blue-collar Americans their jobs."</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The president on Monday approved recommendations by the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose the tariffs. The administration cast the moves as part of Trump’s pledge to put American companies and jobs first.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years.

For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought by Suniva, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany’s SolarWorld. They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse, which they blamed on Chinese solar companies.

“The president’s action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents solar installers, said the tariff would lead to the delay or cancellation of billions of dollars of investment in solar energy and the loss of 23,000 industry jobs this year.

One of the group’s members, Bill Vietas, president of RBI Solar in Cincinnati, said the industry has been growing over the past five years. “Government tariffs will increase the cost of solar and depress demand, which will reduce the orders we’re getting and cost manufacturing workers their jobs,” he said.

Whirlpool issued a statement from Chairman Jeff Fettig saying that the decision on washing machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Fettig said. “By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts.”

Suniva and SolarWorld were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump’s decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization.</s>U.S. President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels in an order he was signing Tuesday.

The move gave a boost to Whirlpool and dealt a setback to the renewable energy industry in the first of several potential trade restrictions.

The decisions were the first of several potential tariff actions that Trump may take in the coming weeks and months.

They are being made ahead of his visit to the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland where the White House say he will deliver an 'America First' message to the CEOs, billionaires and celebrities who gather at what is seen as the key get-together for free-trade globalists.

Trump is considering recommendations on import restrictions for steel and aluminum on national security grounds under a 1962 trade law and tariffs or other trade sanctions against China over its intellectual property practices.

The washer tariffs are steeper than had been demanded by the domestic industry - 50 per cent at their highest.

Trump will impose a 20 percent tariff on the first 1.2 million imported large residential washers in the first year, and a 50 percent tariff on machines above that number. The tariffs decline to 16 percent and 40 percent respectively in the third year.

A 30 percent tariff will be imposed on imported solar cells and modules in the first year, with the tariffs declining to 15 percent by the fourth year. The tariff allows 2.5 gigawatts of unassembled solar cells to be imported tariff-free in each year.

Whirlpool, which sought the washers 'safeguard' action against rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics after years of anti-dumping cases, saw its shares rise.

'By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts,' Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig said in a statement.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics expressed concern over the tariffs, saying they would hit U.S. consumers and jobs.

Together they ship between 2.5 million to 3 million washing machines annually to the United States, with sales of around $1 billion, and they hold a quarter of a U.S. market dominated by Whirlpool and General Electric.

Samsung recently began washer production in South Carolina, and LG is building a washer factory in Tennessee.

'This tariff is a tax on every consumer who wants to buy a washing machine. Everyone will pay more, with fewer choices,' Samsung said in a statement.

LG Electronics said that the decision will hinder the ramp-up and employment prospects of its new plant, which will not begin production until late 2018 or early 2019.

'It is clear that the latest safeguard measures would violate the WTO [World Trade Organization] rules,' South Korea's trade minister Kim Hyun-chong said in a meeting with industry officials. 'We will actively respond to protectionist measures.'

China, the world's biggest solar panel producer branded the move an 'overreaction' and said it would work with other WTO members to protect its interests.

'The U.S.'s decision ... is an abuse of trade remedy measures, and China expresses strong dissatisfaction regarding this,' Wang Hejun, the head of the commerce ministry's Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau, said in a statement.

The decisions in the two 'Section 201' safeguard cases followed findings by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that both imported products 'are a substantial cause of serious injury to domestic manufacturers,' U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.

The washer tariffs exceeded the harshest recommendations from ITC members, while the solar tariffs were lower than domestic producers had hoped for. The restrictions aim to help domestic manufacturers but drew complaints that consumer costs for new washers and solar installations will rise.

Trump ignored a recommendation from the ITC to exclude South Korean-produced washers from LG from the tariffs, as prior anti-dumping duties on these machines have been dropped. The decision could also hurt retailer Sears Holdings, whose Kenmore brand sources its larger washers from LG's overseas factories.

LG shares fell as much as 5 percent in Seoul trading against the wider market´s 0.4 percent gain. Shares in Samsung Elec were up 0.83 percent.

The tariffs are expected to slow a shift to renewable energy in the United States, just as solar was becoming cost competitive with electricity generated from fossil fuels like coal, an industry that Trump has pledged to protect.

MJ Shiao, head of renewable energy research for Wood Mackenzie, said the tariffs would likely reduce projected U.S. solar installations by 10 to 15 percent over the next five years.

'It is a significant impact, but certainly not destructive to the end market,' Shiao told Reuters.

The domestic solar panel producers who sought the trade remedies wanted tariffs of 50 percent - the highest allowed under law. Petitioners Suniva and SolarWorld have said they cannot compete with the influx of cheap imports, mostly from Chinese producers, which has caused solar panel prices to drop more than 30 percent since early 2016.

The U.S. solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, campaigned against the tariffs and estimated the decision would create a 'crisis' for the burgeoning industry and result in the loss of 23,000 U.S. jobs this year as billions of dollars in solar investments are canceled.

Suniva, majority-owned by Hong Kong-listed Shunfeng International Clean Energy Ltd, applauded the decision, saying that Trump 'is sending a message that American innovation and manufacturing will not be bullied out of existence without a fight.'

China and South Korea condemned the steep import tariffs and Europe also said on Tuesday it regretted the U.S. decision and would react 'firmly and proportionately' if EU exports were hit by the tariffs, which Asia fears could be be the start of greater protectionism and stall a revival in global trade.

Trump's actions on trade during his first year had been less alarming than many outside the United States had feared, but Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at consultancy Oxford Economics in Hong Kong, said this may now be changing.

'This could very well be just one step of many,' he said, adding that steel and aluminium were also on Washington's list.

Economists still believe the United States will avoid taking measures that could impact U.S. companies global supply chains, particularly for cars and electronics.

The European Commission said it regretted the measures, had serious doubts that they met WTO conditions and would not hesitate to react if they harmed European Union exports.

German Finance Minister Peter Altmaier told reporters in Brussels that the EU opposed protectionism and said that the measures would make products more expensive for Americans.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said that the outlook for solar firms' expansion overseas was not good because of protectionist sentiment, and that China was encouraging firms to build factories overseas.

Other U.S. trading partners were also quick to react, with Mexico saying it would use legal means to ensure Washington met international obligations, pointing to compensation envisaged under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

India has recently re-opened a U.S. dispute, alleging Washington has failed to comply with a ruling on solar power, while Vietnam has challenged U.S. anti-dumping measures against exports of fish fillets.

Some analysts in Seoul believed Trump was stepping up pressure on the Asian ally to rely more on him when dealing with North Korea, while gaining leverage renegotiating a bilateral free trade pact he has previously labeled 'horrible'.

'Security and trade are linked to each other under Trump,' said Choi Won-mog, an international trade law expert at Ewha University.

A WTO filing published on Jan. 12 showed Seoul had already sought authorisation to impose annual trade sanctions worth at least $711 million on the United States, in response to the dispute over washing machines.

South Korea also asked for permission to impose an open-ended amount of trade sanctions if Washington broke the same rules again on other products.
President Donald Trump imposes Section 201 tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines.