A turning point in US solar trade
The United States solar trade landscape shifted in 2026. For the first time in eight years, imported solar panels are no longer subject to the Section 201 safeguard tariffs, which expired on 6 February 2026 as reported by Solar Power World. Rather than a simple easing, however, the tariff picture has moved: attention has shifted from the module itself toward the metal structures that hold it. For overseas mounting suppliers and their buyers, that shift is worth understanding because it changes where cost pressure now sits in a project. Source: Solar Power World.
Metal tariffs now land on the structure
Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum apply to trackers, racking and aluminum module frames, and industry analysts note they are pushing equipment costs up even as module prices fall. Reporting drawing on SEIA data indicates US module prices dropped to around USD 0.34 per watt in early 2026, down from about USD 0.43 a year earlier, yet commercial system prices still rose roughly 4% year over year — with metal tariffs a significant driver. In other words, the panel got cheaper while the structure and balance-of-system got more expensive.
Why this puts mounting under the microscope
When the module is no longer the main source of cost volatility, procurement teams look harder at the structure. Steel and aluminum content, material origin, section sizing and the completeness of the ground or roof mounting scope all become sharper points of comparison. A quote that looks cheap can hide a lighter material package or exclude fasteners and interface accessories that will be needed later, so like-for-like comparison matters more in a tariff-sensitive market.
What buyers can do
Buyers navigating this environment benefit from transparency: ask each supplier to state the material grade, section and origin, and to quote the same layout, load basis and corrosion class so the comparison is genuine. Clear documentation also helps teams model the landed cost including any applicable duties. None of this removes trade uncertainty, but it makes the mounting portion of a project predictable rather than a surprise late in procurement.
The bigger picture
Trade policy is likely to keep moving — a separate Section 232 review has even framed polysilicon as a supply-chain concern — so the practical response is not to chase headlines but to work with mounting partners who are clear about material, scope and documentation. To turn this into a concrete plan, send Apex the project location, application, module and layout, and load basis, and the team can prepare a transparent structure and material package for review.
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