Tim Brightbill Discusses How the Solar Industry and Customs Worked Together to Save Domestic Manufacturers

July 2, 2015

Timothy C. Brightbill, a partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice, was quoted extensively in an article in the July issue of Frontline Magazine, published by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), about how the solar industry worked with the agency to curb unfair foreign competition.

According to the article, the CBP staff received training from SolarWorld in the form of webinars and a factory tour. The education, in turn, helped improve enforcement.

“We’re seeing a real resurgence in solar manufacturing in the U.S.,” Mr. Brightbill said. “Now that the unfair trade practices are being addressed, we expect to see tremendous growth in manufacturing. And it makes sense because the demand for solar energy in the United States by the residential, commercial and utility sectors is extremely strong. It’s not just growing by double digits, but in some cases by triple digits every year. It’s a very strong market. We should be adding five to 10 new manufacturers a year and thousands of jobs.”

Mr. Brightbill and a team of Wiley Rein attorneys including Senior Public Policy Advisor Nova J. Daly, Associates Laura El-Sabaawi and Usha Neelakantan, and International Trade Analyst Richard DiDonna, represented SolarWorld in its antidumping case against Chinese and Taiwanese companies.

To read the entire article, click here.