I heard that China is subsidizing their solar panel industry then "dumping" panels on us. I find it hard to believe and it doesn't really make sense anyway. Does anyone here know what's behind the recent ~30% tariffs imposed by the U.S. gov on China made solar panels?
Sadly, ethics arguments don't work in this case so I'm having to resort to utility arguments. I'm worried that there is going to be a trade war with China, and most people I hear talking about China subsidizing their solar panels are obviously not adherents of Bastiat... they're economic nationalists which it seems like is the direction the U.S. gov has headed further into lately.
A subsidized foreign import is a benefit to the importing country financed by the exporting country on the basis of whacky theories of trade. You could say the importing country would be arbitraging its better knowledge of trade at the expense of the exporting country.
To make this clear to people, ask if China handing out solar panels for free would be a bad thing. Only the most paranoid nationalists would go down that rabbit hole, and you can basically expose their jingoist leanings right there.
The others, who agree that free solar panels would be great, would then have to justify why they consider solar panels at a reduced price to be a bad thing. That would be fun to watch.