There are currently over 40GW of Chinese-made solar modules in storage across Europe with a cumulative value of around €7 billion (US$7.8 billion), according to data from research firm Rystad Energy.
Over 400 US solar companies have sent a letter to Congress advising against the repeal of Joe Biden’s two-year waiver on solar import tariffs, led by trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
2GW worth of solar PV modules were detained at the US border throughout 2022 as a result of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), representing 1,423 individual shipments.
Imports of solar modules in India decreased by 64% in Q3 2022 compared with the prior quarter whilst cell imports increased by the same amount, according to consultancy JMK Research.
The US installed 1,877MW of utility-scale solar during Q3 2022, a 23% drop year-on-year, amidst ongoing policy issues, according to trade body the American Clean Power Association (ACP).
Following the implementation of the US’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) on 21 June, the EU has come under increasing pressure to enact similar measures, with upcoming legislation potentially holding big implications for the region’s solar sector.
US authorities’ move to require documentation showing the source of quartzite in solar module imports should come as no surprise, experts have said, amid suggestions most companies will be able to overcome the latest hurdle that threatens to delay shipments.
The US’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has come into force today and assumes that any items “wholly or in part” made in China’s Xinjiang region are a product of the region’s alleged labour camps for ethnic minorities, meaning they are prohibited from entering the US.