By Patrick O’Grady | Phoenix Business Journal
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. is closing the doors on its U.S. manufacturing operations, and local officials are putting the blame squarely on a tariff war against Chinese panels.
The Wuxi, China-based Suntech (NYSE: STP) is closing its Goodyear plant and cutting 43 jobs. The company once hailed as bringing Chinese solar manufacturing to American soil fell victim to a number of problems from the tariffs to an oversupplied market that has hammered solar companies.
It also marks an end to most panel manufacturing in the state, as other companies that also either manufactured panels or planned to abandoned those aspirations in Arizona.
