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White House Imposes 15% Tariff, Minimum Import Prices on Polysilicon

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US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation that imposes tariffs and a minimum purchase price on imports of polysilicon, to shield the domestic industry and supply chain from foreign imports deemed a threat to national security, a White House statement said on Thursday.

Polysilicon is the essential raw material needed to manufacture photovoltaic cells for solar panels.

The measure introduces a minimum import price for polysilicon and its derivatives to establish a level playing field for domestic producers and introduces a 15% ad valorem tariff on downstream derivative products to encourage onshoring of critical manufacturing sectors.

To secure long-term commercial viability, the order authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to roll out an incentive program directed at companies investing in the construction, expansion, or refurbishment of domestic polysilicon facilities.

These trade remedies are structured to take effect 120 days from signing, the statement said.

The administration stressed that polysilicon serves as an essential building block for the semiconductor and defense-adjacent industrial bases, noting that the US share of global production capacity plummeted from 50% in 2005 to less than 2% by 2024 due to prolonged foreign dumping.

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