Wall Street Journal: U.S. Solar Shipments Are Hit by Import Ban on China’s Xinjiang Region
August 9, 2022
By Phred Dvorak and Katherine Blunt
The U.S. solar industry is confronting fresh disruptions as U.S. officials crack down on human-rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region, which produces almost half the world’s supply of a crucial component in solar panels.
Several Chinese solar-panel suppliers, among the world’s largest, have had shipments to the U.S. detained or sent back during the past several weeks as customs agents enforce a new law, industry executives and analysts say…
“There are a number of Chinese solar manufacturers that are scrambling right now,” said Mona Dajani, co-leader of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s energy practice. Ms. Dajani said she has managed to get some shipments released for clients…
Because Xinjiang plays such a big role in the global solar supply chain, weeding out those inputs is tough, experts say. Xinjiang harbors around 41% of the world’s manufacturing capacity for polysilicon, a critical ingredient for solar panels, according to Clean Energy Associates, which audits the solar supply chain.