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4h ago

U.S. Imposes 15% Tariff and Minimum Prices on Polysilicon and Solar Imports

The administration says the action is a national-security step to boost U.S. production by reducing reliance on Chinese supply chains.

A solar cell at the Qcells North America factory in Cartersville, Georgia, U.S. June 8, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File Photo
High-purity polysilicon production facilities seen in the distance next to high-voltage power lines in industrial area of Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, June 12, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
U.S. President Donald Trump attends an event to sign executive orders related to birthright citizenship and the polysilicon industry, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 6, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Overview

  • The package was announced on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, and combines a 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives with minimum import prices for polysilicon, wafers, solar cells and solar modules.
  • The measures rest on a Department of Commerce Section 232 national-security probe opened in 2025 that the administration says justifies restricting imports of this strategic raw material.
  • Officials intend the rules to protect domestic polysilicon producers and expand U.S. capacity for chips and solar panels, which both rely on polysilicon as a feedstock.
  • Industry analysts warn the hybrid tariff-plus-price-floor approach may raise input costs for U.S. solar and semiconductor manufacturers and could slow some clean-energy projects.
  • The move raises the risk of trade retaliation after prior Chinese anti-dumping duties on polysilicon and has already prompted market signals that a near-term visit by Xi Jinping to the United States is less likely while the White House and Commerce had not yet publicly commented.