The Trump administration, by the Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Trade and Safety, and the Workplace of Strategic Industries and Financial Safety, has initiated a Sec. 232 investigation into the polysilicon trade. The investigation was first launched on July 1 however not made public till July 14.
Credit score: Hemlock
The federal government goals to find out the consequences on the nationwide safety of imports of “polysilicon and its derivatives.” Polysilicon is utilized in silicon photo voltaic panels and semiconductors. An investigation beneath Sec. 232 of the Commerce Enlargement Act of 1962 permits the federal authorities to impose tariffs on imported merchandise if they’re deemed to be a risk to nationwide safety. Steel and aluminum imports have been met with Sec. 232 tariffs since 2018.
The Dept. of Commerce has requested public comments on the demand for polysilicon in america and whether or not home manufacturing can meet such demand.
Photo voltaic Energy World beforehand wrote an investigative article on the solar polysilicon market in america, a narrative that received a national journalism award for reporting. Polysilicon manufacturing in america was basically gutted throughout the China-America commerce struggle of the 2010s. The “massive three” U.S. polysilicon producers — Hemlock, Wacker and REC Silicon — noticed their market share shrink from $1 billion in 2011 to $107 million in 2018 after China positioned excessive duties on American-made polysilicon. China has since overtaken the worldwide market, now estimated to carry a 93.5% market share.
Hemlock and Wacker are nonetheless producing polysilicon within the Untied States, each for the photo voltaic and electronics markets, however REC Silicon has since dropped out. New firm Highland Supplies is trying to start out a polysilicon manufacturing plant in Tennessee. There are additionally a handful of non-China gamers that contribute to the photo voltaic trade, together with OCI in Malaysia and Wacker’s German plant.
Chinese language polysilicon imports are already beneath Sec. 301 tariffs of 50%. Sec. 301 of the Commerce Act of 1974 permits the federal government to reply to overseas commerce practices that burden or limit U.S. commerce.
The U.S. authorities is accepting feedback on this investigation by August.
