Image copyright AFP Image caption Donald Trump's proposed wall on the US-Mexico border was a campaign rallying cry

US President Donald Trump has told supporters that his proposed wall along the border with Mexico could have solar panels fixed to it.

Addressing a rally in Iowa, he said the panels would provide cheap energy and help to pay for the controversial wall.

He suggested the plan was his own, saying: "Pretty good imagination, right? Good? My idea."

However, solar panels have been included in designs for the wall submitted by companies.

During his campaign, Mr Trump pledged to build a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

He insisted he would make Mexico foot the bill, but President Enrique Peña Nieto has dismissed the idea.

Mr Trump told cheering supporters at a campaign-style rally in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday that he would "give you an idea that nobody has heard about yet".

"We're thinking of something that's unique, we're talking about the southern border, lots of sun, lots of heat. We're thinking about building the wall as a solar wall, so it creates energy and pays for itself. And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money, and that's good, right?"

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump : "Pretty good imagination right? Good? My idea."

He added: "Solar wall, panels, beautiful. I mean actually think of it, the higher it goes the more valuable it is. Pretty good imagination right? Good? My idea."

More than 200 companies are believed to have responded to an invitation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit designs for the wall. Among them was one from Gleason Partners in Las Vegas that proposed a wall of steel, cement and solar panels.

The DHS told the BBC that 20 companies had been shortlisted.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The impact of the wall on wildlife: Victoria Gill joins scientists working in the Sonoran Desert

In April, US media reported that President Trump had raised the idea with Republican Congressional leaders in talks at the White House.

The idea of a solar panelled wall was also proposed in an article by an environmentalist and an academic last year in the Huffington Post and another article for the Wall Street Journal by two academics in March. </s> The founder of the World Economic Forum hopes President Donald Trump's planned visit to a gathering of world decision-makers and elites in Davos later this week will "provide him even better with a global perspective.".

The founder of the World Economic Forum hopes President Donald Trump's planned visit to a gathering of world decision-makers and elites in Davos later this week will "provide him even better with a global...

AP Analysis: Trump's promises to separate his businesses from his presidency left plenty of room for profiting.

AP Analysis: Trump's promises to separate his businesses from his presidency left plenty of room for profiting.

The president on Monday approved recommendations by the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose the tariffs. (Source: CNN)

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Monday approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The Republican's decision followed recommendations for tariffs by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

"The president's action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years. For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

China accused Trump of jeopardizing the multilateral trading system by taking action on complaints under U.S. law instead of through the World Trade Organization.

"The U.S. side once again abused its trade remedy measures," said a Commerce Ministry statement. "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction with this."

Mexico said Trump's decision not to exclude it from the measures was "regrettable."

"Mexico will use all available legal resources in response to the U.S. decision to apply protections on Mexican washing machines and solar panels," its Economy Department said in a statement.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought last year by Suniva Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany's SolarWorld.

They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse. Nearly 30 U.S. solar-manufacturing facilities had closed in the past five years, they said, as China plotted to flood the global market with cheap products to weaken U.S. manufacturing.

Suniva spokesman Mark Paustenbach called tariffs "a step forward for this high-tech solar-manufacturing industry we pioneered right here in America."

However, solar installers and manufacturers of other equipment used to run solar-power systems opposed tariffs, which they said will raise their prices and hurt demand for the renewable energy.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents installation companies, said billions of dollars of solar investment will be delayed or canceled, leading to the loss of 23,000 jobs this year.

Mark Bortman, founder of Exact Solar in Philadelphia, said the prospect of tariffs, since the trade commission recommended them in October, had already caused him to delay hiring and expansion plans.

"Solar is really just starting to take off because it is truly a win-win-win situation" for consumers, workers and the environment, he said. "Tariffs would really be shooting ourselves in the foot."

The case for tariffs on washing machines was pushed by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. The company's chairman, Jeff Fettig, said tariffs on imported machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike," Fettig said. "By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts."

But U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, said Republicans need to understand that tariffs are a tax on consumers.

"Moms and dads shopping on a budget for a new washing machine will pay for this - not big companies," Sasse said in a statement.

Suniva, SolarWorld and Whirlpool were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Up to certain levels, imports of solar cells will be exempt from the tariff, while the first 1.2 million imported large washing machines will get a lower tariff, peaking at 20 percent.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump's decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The Republican's decision followed recommendations for tariffs by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

"The president's action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years. For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

China accused Trump of jeopardizing the multilateral trading system by taking action on complaints under U.S. law instead of through the World Trade Organization.

"The U.S. side once again abused its trade remedy measures," said a Commerce Ministry statement. "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction with this."

Mexico said Trump's decision not to exclude it from the measures was "regrettable."

"Mexico will use all available legal resources in response to the U.S. decision to apply protections on Mexican washing machines and solar panels," its Economy Department said in a statement.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought last year by Suniva Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany's SolarWorld.

They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse. Nearly 30 U.S. solar-manufacturing facilities had closed in the past five years, they said, as China plotted to flood the global market with cheap products to weaken U.S. manufacturing.

Suniva spokesman Mark Paustenbach called tariffs "a step forward for this high-tech solar-manufacturing industry we pioneered right here in America."

However, solar installers and manufacturers of other equipment used to run solar-power systems opposed tariffs, which they said will raise their prices and hurt demand for the renewable energy.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents installation companies, said billions of dollars of solar investment will be delayed or canceled, leading to the loss of 23,000 jobs this year.

Mark Bortman, founder of Exact Solar in Philadelphia, said the prospect of tariffs, since the trade commission recommended them in October, had already caused him to delay hiring and expansion plans.

"Solar is really just starting to take off because it is truly a win-win-win situation" for consumers, workers and the environment, he said. "Tariffs would really be shooting ourselves in the foot."

The case for tariffs on washing machines was pushed by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. The company's chairman, Jeff Fettig, said tariffs on imported machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike," Fettig said. "By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts."

But U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, said Republicans need to understand that tariffs are a tax on consumers.

"Moms and dads shopping on a budget for a new washing machine will pay for this — not big companies," Sasse said in a statement.

Suniva, SolarWorld and Whirlpool were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Up to certain levels, imports of solar cells will be exempt from the tariff, while the first 1.2 million imported large washing machines will get a lower tariff, peaking at 20 percent.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump's decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization. </s> WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines.

The announcement marks President Trump’s first major trade action of 2018 and follows his campaign promise to get tough on America’s trading partners.

A tariff, or tax, of 30% will be applied to imported solar panels, most of which come from China. Tariffs will begin at 20% on large residential washing machines, according to the announcement Monday from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“The President’s action makes clear again that the Trump Administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” Lighthizer said in a statement.

The decision comes after the independent U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that imports of solar panels and washers had hurt American companies.

It also carries some symbolism: Lighthizer’s team resumes NAFTA negotiations on Tuesday with its counterparts from Mexico and Canada. Later this week, Trump himself is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event for global elites who promote free trade and oppose protectionist measures like tariffs.

Lighthizer also recently started to renegotiate a trade agreement between South Korea and the United States that he and Trump blame for increasing the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

In these two cases, the Trump administration invoked a trade law from 1974 that was last used in 2001. The law allowed Trump to raise tariffs as high as he wanted.

“The administration could have gone well beyond what the ITC recommended and imposed far more crippling tariffs,” said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “This will do some harm to some harm to solar installation, but it’s not going to shut down the industry.”

The solar panel tariff is a blow to China, the primary country from which the U.S. imports solar panels. But it also could put some U.S. jobs at risk. Most of the American jobs related to solar panels involve installation, not manufacturing.

Related: Solar panels: A fight with China that Trump may want to avoid

Overall, about 260,000 Americans work in the solar industry, up 24% from 2015, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

A separate advocacy organization, the Solar Energy Industries Association, warned before the tariffs were announced that such an action would put 48,000 to 63,000 American solar industry workers out of a job this year.

“This reckless decision will threaten tens of thousands of American jobs and hurt our climate,” Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit based in Arizona, said in a statement.

U.S. solar panel manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld filed a petition last year with the ITC to investigate the sale of solar panels marketed well below typical U.S. prices. The practice is known as “dumping.”

Americans could ultimately pay the price of the solar tariffs, Alden noted.

“If you were thinking about installing solar in your house, it’s going to become a little less attractive…the cost of solar installation will go up a bit,” says Alden. He added: “In all likelihood this will be a net jobs negative.”

Prices of washing machines could soon go up for Americans, too.

South Korea and Mexico are the biggest losers from the washing machine tariffs. Those countries export the bulk of washers to the United States. Much of the production in the two countries is under the umbrella of South Korean giants Samsung and LG.

For the first 1.2 million washers imported to the United States, the tariff will be 20%. After that, it goes up to 50%.

American washing machine maker Whirlpool had filed a petition going back to 2011, accusing LG and Samsung of selling their washers at prices below the average in the U.S. market.

Whirlpool said the Trump administration’s action would result in more manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig said in a statement.

The tariffs may serve as a harbinger for other upcoming trade decisions. Trump has less than 90 days to decide whether to apply tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, not to mention whether he will withdraw the United States from NAFTA. </s> WASHINGTON DC — The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines.

The announcement marks President Trump’s first major trade action of 2018 and follows his campaign promise to get tough on America’s trading partners.

A tariff, or tax, of 30% will be applied to imported solar panels, most of which come from China. Tariffs will begin at 20% on large residential washing machines, according to the announcement Monday from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“The President’s action makes clear again that the Trump Administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” Lighthizer said in a statement.

The decision comes after the independent U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that imports of solar panels and washers had hurt American companies. Tariffs will be in place for three years and will taper down.

Alan Deardorff, a trade expert at the University of Michigan, said these temporary tariffs are meant to provide “breathing room” for industries trying to adjust to a surge in foreign competition.

Trump’s tariffs also carry some symbolism: Lighthizer’s team resumes NAFTA negotiations on Tuesday with its counterparts from Mexico and Canada. Later this week, Trump himself is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event for global elites who promote free trade and oppose protectionist measures like tariffs.

Lighthizer also recently started to renegotiate a trade agreement between South Korea and the United States that he and Trump blame for increasing the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

In these two cases, the Trump administration invoked a trade law from 1974 that was last used in 2001. The law allowed Trump to raise tariffs as high as he wanted.

“The administration could have gone well beyond what the ITC recommended and imposed far more crippling tariffs,” said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “This will do some harm to solar installation, but it’s not going to shut down the industry.”

The solar panel tariff is a blow to China, the primary country from which the U.S. imports solar panels. But it also could put some U.S. jobs at risk. Most of the American jobs related to solar panels involve installation, not manufacturing.

Overall, about 260,000 Americans work in the solar industry, up 24% from 2015, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

A separate advocacy organization, the Solar Energy Industries Association, warned before the tariffs were announced that such an action would put 48,000 to 63,000 American solar industry workers out of a job this year.

“This reckless decision will threaten tens of thousands of American jobs and hurt our climate,” Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit based in Arizona, said in a statement.

The American Council on Renewable Energy said the tariff would cause electricity prices to rise.

U.S. solar panel manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld filed a petition last year with the ITC to investigate the sale of solar panels marketed well below typical U.S. prices. The practice is known as “dumping.” In a statement, Suniva thanked Trump.

Americans could ultimately pay the price of the solar tariffs, Alden noted.

“If you were thinking about installing solar in your house, it’s going to become a little less attractive…the cost of solar installation will go up a bit,” says Alden. He added: “In all likelihood this will be a net jobs negative.”

Prices of washing machines could soon go up for Americans, too.

South Korea and Mexico are the biggest losers from the washing machine tariffs. Those countries export the bulk of washers to the United States. Much of the production in the two countries is under the umbrella of South Korean giants Samsung and LG.

In a statement, Samsung said consumers will pay more for washing machines. It noted that it has hired 600 workers at a new plant in South Carolina to make washing machines. LG also added that it was disappointed in what it called a “misguided decision” by Trump.

For the first 1.2 million washers imported to the United States, the tariff will be 20%. After that, it goes up to 50%.

“Anybody who is thinking about buying a washing machine should do it right away,” said Gary Hufbauer, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “The washing machine prices will probably be fully reflected in a couple months.”

American washing machine maker Whirlpool had filed a petition going back to 2011, accusing LG and Samsung of selling their washers at prices below the average in the U.S. market.

Whirlpool said the Trump administration’s action would result in more manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Whirlpool Chairman Jeff Fettig said in a statement.

The tariffs may serve as a harbinger for other upcoming trade decisions. Trump has less than 90 days to decide whether to apply tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, not to mention whether he will withdraw the United States from NAFTA.

Experts said Trump’s message to other American companies looking for help against foreign competitors is clear.

“If you’re an industry that is finding pressure from imports causing you difficulty, come to Uncle Trump, he’ll take care of you,” Hufbauer said. </s> Donald Trump's planned border wall between the United States and Mexico might not be all that visible, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said.

Trump had previously said he'd build a 'big, beautiful wall' for which Mexico would then pay - but it appears the actual wall may leave more up to the imagination.

Instead, the wall could use electronic surveillance methods to create a sort of virtual wall.

Kelly told Fox News: 'Any discussion about the protection of our southwest border involves discussion of physical barriers but also of technological sensors.'

Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge elaborated: 'There will be the physical wall and then parts of the wall that you can actually see through because it will rely on sensors and other technology.'

Kelly said the wall would be built 'where it's needed first' before expanding to something that may not end up resembling Trump's plan for a great wall along the nearly-2,000 mile land border between the US and Mexico.

He hopes to complete it in two years and claims funding will come 'relatively quickly.'

It is not yet clear how the wall might be funded.

Much of the barrier between the United States and Mexico already has a mixture of walls along urban areas and other heavily-trafficked regions and 'virtual fences' along more remote stretches, the Independent reported. </s> WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines (all times local):

President Donald Trump is approving tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The administration cast Monday's decisions as part of Trump's pledge to put American companies and jobs first.

The administration is imposing an immediate tariff of 30 on most imported solar modules, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years.

For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 and phase out after three years.

The U.S. solar industry is split over the issue. Two small subsidiaries of foreign companies that made solar cells in the U.S. tariffs, but a larger number of companies that install solar-power systems say their costs will rise and jobs will be lost. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers.

The president on Monday approved recommendations by the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose the tariffs. The administration cast the moves as part of Trump’s pledge to put American companies and jobs first.

Most imported solar modules will face an immediate tariff of 30 percent, with the rate declining before phasing out after four years.

For large residential washing machines, tariffs will start at up to 50 percent and phase out after three years.

The U.S. solar industry was split over the trade barriers.

The tariffs were sought by Suniva, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, and the U.S. subsidiary of Germany’s SolarWorld. They said that a nearly 500 percent increase in imported solar panels over five years led to a ruinous price collapse, which they blamed on Chinese solar companies.

“The president’s action makes clear again that the Trump administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses in this regard,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the decision.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents solar installers, said the tariff would lead to the delay or cancellation of billions of dollars of investment in solar energy and the loss of 23,000 industry jobs this year.

One of the group’s members, Bill Vietas, president of RBI Solar in Cincinnati, said the industry has been growing over the past five years. “Government tariffs will increase the cost of solar and depress demand, which will reduce the orders we’re getting and cost manufacturing workers their jobs,” he said.

Whirlpool issued a statement from Chairman Jeff Fettig saying that the decision on washing machines would create new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike,” Fettig said. “By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts.”

Suniva and SolarWorld were helped by a 1974 trade law that lets companies seek trade protection if they can show damage from a rise in imports.

Congress has no authority to change or veto Trump’s decision. Countries affected by the decision can appeal to the World Trade Organization. </s> WASHINGTON — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval joined a growing number of officials Wednesday who dismissed the effectiveness of building a wall along the 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico.

President Donald Trump announced his intentions to construct a barrier as part of his crackdown on illegal immigration, and to fulfill a campaign promise that energized his Republican base.

Others, however, were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of spending more than $20 billion to erect structures along a border that spans four U.S. states.

“On my list of things to be done, that wouldn’t be one of them,” Sandoval told an audience attending a National Governors Association meeting at the Newseum in Washington.

Sandoval, the vice chairman of the NGA, said there are other more important things to spend time and energy on.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, NGA chairman, was even more blunt on his assessment.

McAuliffe said building a $20 billion wall “is not immigration policy.” He added that the rhetoric during the campaign surrounding the pledge to build the barrier was divisive.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., called the wall a gimmick by a president whose approval ratings are the lowest of any recent president taking office.

“It is a stunt to galvanize his supporters and a transparent attempt to boost his low poll numbers,” Titus said.

Trump has claimed Mexico will pay for the border wall, even though Mexican officials have scoffed at the idea.

The executive order for the wall was signed on the day that Luis Videgaray, Mexico’s foreign minister, arrived in Washington to prepare for a visit next week by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said Trump is moving forward on “an incredibly costly and ineffective border wall that will do nothing to improve our national security and that Mexico will never pay for.”

“Make no mistake: I firmly believe in securing our border. However, I am afraid this is just the first step in what will be a pattern from the Trump administration of putting tough talk ahead of smart, thoughtful immigration policy,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico, posted a picture on Twitter holding a sign that said “I stand with New Americans, #NoBanNoWall.”

“President Trump’s actions today are wrong for immigrant families, wrong for our values, and wrong for our country,” Kihuen said in a statement. “Rather than rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and create millions of jobs, President Trump is throwing money down the drain for a wall that will not work. Instead of working to heal, the president is choosing to divide, doubling down on anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies.”

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.
United States President Donald Trump plans on adding solar panels to his proposed border wall with Mexico.