Raining on Xinjiang solar
The trade ban on Hoshine stops short of a region-wide WRO to block imports of polysilicon from all entities in Xinjiang. The administration has recently considered such a ban, Kelsey and Gavin reported this week, but CBP often blocks imports from individual companies as it builds the legal case for broader action.
The Solar Energy Industries Association said the move, which it anticipated, was welcomed. “The fact is, we do not have transparency into supply chains in the Xinjiang region, and there is too much risk in operating there,” John Smirnow, SEIA’s general counsel and vice president of market strategy, said in a statement. “For that reason, in October, we began calling on solar companies to leave the region and we provided them a traceability protocol to help ensure there is not forced labor in the supply chain.”