Xinjiang sanctions and the PV supply chain
Due to forced labor concerns, a ban on imports from Xinjiang to the United States appears likely. This could be another blow for polysilicon producers hit by industrial accidents and the threat of floods in the third quarter of 2020. Chinese polysilicon prices have surged more than 50% in a matter of a months. Consequently, wafer prices have skyrocketed, bringing increasing costs to the solar cell and PV module segments. In the face of price hikes, some projects are now postponed until the first half of 2021.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in September seeking to block imports of goods made in Xinjiang province, China due to forced labor concerns. Xinjiang is a major producer of fossil fuel, and supplies around 20% of the world’s cotton, as well as more than 40% of the world’s solar grade polysilicon. The …
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