U.S. Blocks More Than 1,000 Shipments Of Solar Components From China

More than 1,000 shipments of solar energy components worth hundreds of millions of dollars have piled up at US ports since June under a new law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about slave labor, according to federal customs officials and industry sources, Nichola Groom reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The detained products include panels and polysilicon cells likely amounting to up to 1 gigawatt of capacity and primarily made by three Chinese manufacturers - Longi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Trina Solar Co. Ltd. and JinkoSolar Holding Co.

The level of seizures, which has not previously been reported, reflects how a policy intended to heap pressure on Beijing over its Uyghur detention camps in Xinjiang risks slowing the Biden administration's efforts to decarbonize the US power sector to fight climate change.

US Customs and Border Protection has seized 1,053 shipments of solar energy equipment between June 21, when the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act went into effect, and Oct. 25, it told Reuters in response to a public records request, adding none of the shipments have yet been released.

The agency would not reveal the manufacturers or confirm details about the quantity of solar equipment in the shipments, citing federal law that protects confidential trade secrets.

Three industry sources with knowledge of the matter, however, told Reuters the detained products include panels and polysilicon cells likely amounting to up to 1 gigawatt of capacity and primarily made by three Chinese manufacturers - Longi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Trina Solar Co. Ltd. and JinkoSolar Holding Co.

Longi, Trina and Jinko typically account for up to a third of US panel supplies. But the companies have halted new shipments to the US over concerns additional cargoes will also be detained, the industry sources said.

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