The Commerce Department on Tuesday imposed steep duties on importers of Chinese solar panels made from certain components, asserting that the manufacturers had benefited from unfair subsidies.

The duties will range from 18.56 to 35.21 percent, the department said.

The decision, in a long-simmering trade dispute, addresses one of the main charges in a petition brought by the manufacturer SolarWorld Industries America. While it is preliminary, the ruling means that the United States will begin collecting the tariffs in advance of the final decision, expected later this year.

“Today is a strong win for the U.S. solar industry,” said Mukesh Dulani, president of SolarWorld Industries America, based in Hillsboro, Ore. “We look forward to the end of illegal Chinese government intervention in the U.S. solar market, and we applaud Commerce for its work that supports fair trade.”

The decision comes against a backdrop of increasing trade conflict driven at least partly by a rapidly evolving industry whose center of manufacture and installation has shifted over the last decade from Europe to Asia. Although the European Union settled a similar dispute with China through negotiation, tensions have still bubbled. And the United States is seeking to challenge India over the local content requirements for its solar program through the World Trade Organization.