The Trump administration issued a 10 percent import tax which will apply to $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, including inverters used in renewable energy installations as well certain types of batteries. According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Sept. 18 announcement, the tariffs go into effect on Sept. 24 and are set to jump to 25 percent on January 1, 2019. The escalation of the trade war with the world’s largest producer of solar cells and components follows an investigation that concluded in March finding that China’s policies and practices related to U.S. technology transfer and intellectual property are unfair and hurt U.S. commerce. The administration said that retaliatory action from China would be countered with tariffs on about $267 billion in additional imports. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration imposed 30 percent tariff on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, which are expected to have a small impact on electricity generation from end-use solar installations, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.