The Trump administration on Thursday announced a series of price floors and a 15% tariff on products made from polysilicon, the key raw material used in semiconductors and solar panels. The move, enacted by U.S. President Donald Trump under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, is intended to shield U.S. polysilicon manufacturers from intensifying Chinese competition in the chip supply chain.
According to a White House document cited by Reuters, the president established minimum import prices of $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for polysilicon ingots and wafers, $0.22 per watt for solar cells, and $0.38 per watt for solar modules, or panels. The proclamation further authorizes the Commerce Department to develop an incentive program for companies that invest in facilities to produce polysilicon or its downstream products.
