Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 46 2022
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AsiaElec POLICY AsiaElec
US seizes $100,000mn-plus
of Chinese solar components
over slave labour concerns
CHINA MORE than 1,000 shipments of Chinese solar the IEA’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
energy components worth hundreds of millions According to Reuters, US Customs and Bor-
of dollars have piled up at US borders since mid- der Protection (CBP) has seized 1,053 shipments
year under a new law banning imports from Xin- of solar energy equipment in the four months
jiang region over slave labour concerns. Reuters since June 21, when the Uyghur Forced Labour
reported the matter exclusively, citing US cus- Protection Act (UFLPA) went into effect. None
toms sources and industry officials. of the shipments has yet been released.
China’s LNG imports fell by some 59% Three knowledgeable industry sources told
during Late last year, the US government had Reuters that the detained products include pan-
banned imports of solar goods from China’s els and polysilicon cells – likely totalling up to
northwest region of Xinjiang, starting in June, 1 GW of capacity – primarily made by three
due to reported human rights abuses commit- Chinese manufacturers, Longi Green Energy
ted against the Uyghur people. With 40% of the Technology, Trina Solar and JinkoSolar Holding.
world’s silicon production based in Xinjiang, this The new service said that Longi, Trina and
policy effectively halved the number of panels Jinko together typically account for up to a
that can be imported to the US, disrupting the third of US panel supplies. The companies have
already inferior supply chain. halted new shipments to the United States over
In July, the International Energy Agency concerns additional goods will also be detained,
(IEA) had cautioned that global solar supply said the sources.
chains, currently heavily concentrated in China, Jinko told Reuters that it is working with CBP
should be diversified to help ensure a secure on proving its supplies are not linked to slave
transition to net-zero emissions. labour and is “confident the shipments will be
China’s share in all the key manufacturing admitted.” Longi and Trina did not respond to
stages of solar panels exceeds 80%, says the Reuters’ request for comment.
report, and for key elements including polysil- The American Clean Power Association, a
icon and wafers, this is set to rise to more than lobby group, urged the US to streamline the vet-
95%, based on current manufacturing capacity ting process. “After more than four months of
under construction, the IEA said. solar panels being reviewed under UFLPA, none
Annual additions of solar PV capacity to elec- have been rejected and instead they remain stuck
tricity systems around the world need to more in limbo with no end in sight,” it tweeted.
than quadruple by 2030 to be on track to meet
P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 46 15•November•2022
