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Update: Market Chatter: US Solar Panel Makers File Petition Against South Korean Solar Cell Imports

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(Updates with SEG's comments in fourth and fifth paragraphs.)

A newly formed solar manufacturing coalition, American Manufacturers for Energy Resilience, has petitioned the US Department of Commerce to launch an anti-circumvention trade probe into solar cell imports from South Korea, Reuters reported Monday.

The group, consisting of Canadian Solar (CSIQ), SEG, and Heliene, filed the petition on June 18, accusing Hanwha Qcells of intentionally shifting its core cell manufacturing from China to South Korea to evade steep US tariffs, according to the report.

Under US trade enforcement law, import duties can be legally extended to products routed through third nations, if the final processing or assembly in those countries is deemed minor.

"This petition is not about attacking South Korea, a key US ally, or any company making real investments in American manufacturing. It is about making sure the trade rules apply equally to everyone," SEG said in an email to.

"The US has made a clear national commitment to rebuilding domestic solar manufacturing. That commitment only works if companies cannot avoid existing AD/CVD orders by routing Chinese-origin inputs through third countries with only minimal processing," SEG added.

Other than SEG, none of the parties involved responded immediately to' request for comments.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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