US announces tariffs, minimum import price on polysilicon imports

The United States has announced plans to implement a 15% tariff on imports of polysilicon derived products along the solar supply chain, as well as minimum import prices for polysilicon and solar ingots, wafers, cells and modules. The tariffs and price floor will apply as of 12:01 Eastern Time on December 4, 2026.

The move follows a section 232 investigation into polysilicon imports, in which the Secretary of Commerce found that the quantities and circumstances of polysilicon imports threaten harm to US national security. An announcement from the White House says the administration agrees with the investigation’s findings and recommendations, and sets minimum import prices at $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for polysilicon ingots and wafers, $0.22 per watt for solar cells, and $0.38 per watt for solar modules.

The announcement notes that “in the solar sector, the United States is virtually entirely dependent on imports of solar ingots, wafers, and cells,” and says that it aims to support domestic manufacturing for both solar and semiconductor grade polysilicon. “Without a financially viable market for United States solar-grade polysilicon, United States polysilicon producers cannot thrive and ensure domestic manufacturing of solar- and semiconductor-grade polysilicon and their derivatives that meets United States economic and national security requirements,”

It also lays out terms allowing the US Trade Representative to enter into arrangements with specific trading partners that would alter the applicability of the tariffs and price floors. And the announcement authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to “establish a program to incentivize investment in United States production of raw polysilicon, as well as ingots, wafers, and cells”, and to accept onshoring plans from companies looking to build, refurbish or expand a facility to produce those products, provided it starts construction by January 20, 2029.

Early reactions

Manufacturers already active in the United States have reacted positively to the news. Mark Widmar, CEO at First Solar, which produces thin-film solar modules that don’t contain polysilicon, called the move one of the most strategically significant trade measures in decades. “For years, China-linked supply chains dumped below cost and circumvented US laws to undercut American workers and their livelihoods, while creating a strategic vulnerability. This action closes that loophole, and it is built to be enforced, with a minimum import price, an ad valorem tariff behind it, and real consequences for violators. That is the fair shot at a level playing field that American manufacturers and workers have earned,” he said in a statement.

Korean headquartered manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells is building one of the largest US solar manufacturing facilities in Georgia. “Today’s decision from the White House balances the reality of where America’s solar energy manufacturing is today while advancing our collective ambition to onshore the entire supply chain from polysilicon to finished panels in the U.S. This decision helps support the billions of dollars invested and the thousands of jobs created at factories around the country. It also helps lay the groundwork for more investments, more jobs, and more innovation to come. Demand for reliable, affordable, and safe energy has never been higher. American solar manufacturers are ready to rise to the occasion,” said Andy Park, Global CEO of Hanwha Qcells.