More than 1,000 shipments of Chinese solar components have piled up at US ports since June 2022, according to federal customs officials and industry sources with Reuters.
Information about more than 1,000 shipments of solar components seized by the US
According to Reuters news agency, 1,053 shipments of solar energy components from China worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been piled up at US ports since June until now. Because at this time, the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act in Xinjiang has officially taken effect. Currently, US customs has not released a shipment. The agency does not disclose the manufacturers nor confirm details of the number of solar devices included in the shipments, subject to federal laws protecting trade secrets.
Industry sources told Reuters news agency that the products seized included polysilicon panels and solar cells. These products are mainly manufactured by 3 companies: LONGi Green Energy Technology, JinkoSolar Holding and Trina Solar.
Reuters reported that up to now, LONGi, Trina and Jinko currently account for a third of the supply of solar panels to the US. Other sources also said these companies have temporarily stopped importing solar panels into the US out of fear of being seized.
Currently, China has denied the US allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang. In Beijing, there are now “vocational training centers” needed to curb separatism, terrorists and religious extremism in Xinjiang.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China Photovoltaic Industry Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters news agency said that with such a high level of US seizure, Washington’s policy of putting pressure on Beijing on the Xinjiang issue risks undermining efforts to “green” in the area. America’s energy and climate change.
According to the Clean Energy Association of America, solar deployment in the US has now slowed by 23% in the third quarter of 2022. At the same time, solar projects in the US with a total capacity of up to 23 gigawatts are being delayed, citing a lack of solar panels.
