The Trump administration on Thursday is expected to announce a 15% tariff in a series of price floors on products made from polysilicon, the key raw material used in solar panels and semiconductors, according to an official familiar in the matter. The move aims to protect U.S. polysilicon factories from growing Chinese ambitions in the chip supply company.
The move is one among several other federal measures taken by U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce import dependency.
The proclamation by Trump is expected to include minimum import prices on polysilicon wafers, cells and modules, and other solar panels, besides a 15% tariff on the polysilicon derivatives. Reports previously mentioned that the Trump administration was considering a combination of tariffs and price floors to protect domestic producers from low-cost imports.
The move aims to strengthen the US polysilicon industry, which has faced increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers that dominate large parts of the global solar supply chain.The tarrifs would there by surge the prices on imported products, redirecting investments towards US manufacturing capacity.
The announcement follows a year-long national security investigation conducted by the US Commerce Department into polysilicon imports.The probe examined whether imports of the material posed risks to US national security by increasing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical technologies.
If implemented, the latest measures would add to a series of tariffs and trade restrictions introduced by the Trump administration as it seeks to bolster domestic manufacturing and reshape global supply chains in sectors deemed critical to US economic and national security.