In My Backyard

Is it or isn't it?
Dumping of Chinese solar panels. Threatening the livelihood of 1100 workers at SolarWorld. Right here in my backyard, in Hillsboro (ok not literally, but a 5 minute bikeride, up Brookwood, past the airport, its right there).

Evidence of SolarWorld is just another of those Washington County miracles. German looking and speaking people at the brewpub on a Friday night, soaking in the hot tub at the gym.

Now SolarWorld has lodged a complaint that Chinese firms are "dumping" (a trade specific term meaning selling under market value) solar panels to capture the U.S. market. They want the U.S. to impose tariffs on these Chinese imports, so that competition is fair.

Is this valid? Surely if nothing else it is a test of my commitment to a free market. Solar panels! In Hillsboro! That provide clean energy, family wage manufacturing jobs in my county. The only offer we got on our house in one year's time (as the value slid, slid, and is still sliding downhill) was from a family who worked there. They were looking at the south side of the garage roof for their employer-sponsored solar panels.

Its easy to have an academic view, "of course I suppose free markets". Sitting in cubicle city in Salem, either at the center of power, or the center of bureaucracy, or the center of completely mind-numbing administrative procedure (or all of these). Its another thing when its your backyard, your neighborhood, well even your company. I have no association with SolarWorld whatsoever except maybe this story, but I have a stock in them still..

The here and now. What about the long run? As they say, you don't eat in the long run; if you don't eat now then in the long run you're dead. Maybe today I am a protectionist. Well maybe. Or maybe I'm glad they are at least sticking up for themselves, for all of us.