After reviewing industry data, the Dept. of Commerce has decided to initiate a country-wide investigation to determine whether imports of silicon solar
Following a review of available industry information, the U.S. Department of Commerce has launched a nationwide investigation to examine whether silicon solar cell imports from Ethiopia that incorporate Chinese components are being used to evade the long-standing antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders that apply to solar cells produced in China.
The request for the investigation was filed in May by U.S. solar cell and module manufacturers DYCM Power, First Solar, Qcells, Silfab, Solx, Suniva, Swift Solar and Talon PV. According to the petition, Ethiopian manufacturers Toyo and Origin Solar are importing wafers of Chinese origin, producing solar cells in Ethiopia, and then assembling those cells into solar modules either in Ethiopia or Vietnam before exporting them to the United States. The companies bringing the petition argued that close to 70% of the completed solar modules shipped from Ethiopia contain components and manufacturing steps that are already covered by existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar products.
According to the petition, imports into the United States of solar cells and modules originating from Ethiopia did not exist before July 2025 but climbed to $277 million during the second half of 2025 alone. The filing further stated that these imports have continued to increase throughout 2026. The petitioners asserted that this rapid expansion coincided with a significant increase in shipments from China to Ethiopia of essential materials used in the production of solar cells and modules.
“Our sustained monitoring of these trade flows is delivering results, and this new investigation sends a clear signal to bad actors: we will not stand by while they repeatedly circumvent our trade laws to undercut American manufacturing,” said Tim Brightbill, lead counsel for the petitioners and co-chair of Wiley’s International Trade Practice. “We commend the Dept. of Commerce for following the evidence and initiating this inquiry.”
Commerce received additional factual information from both Toyo and Origin Solar intended to clarify aspects of the case, after which the department determined that a more detailed investigation was warranted. The agency currently estimates that it will issue a preliminary determination by Dec. 10, 2026, while a final determination is expected around May 10, 2027. Until the investigation is concluded, Commerce has instructed U.S. Customs to continue suspending liquidation for imports already covered by the underlying orders and to collect the applicable cash deposit rates that would be required if the imported products are ultimately determined to fall within the scope of those orders. Any duties imposed as a result of the investigation could be applied retroactively to the date on which the circumvention inquiry was initiated.
Meanwhile, the solar industry continues to await the final outcome of the AD/CVD investigation into solar imports from India, Indonesia and Laos, commonly referred to as “Solar IV.” The Ethiopia case represents the fifth major nationwide investigation involving allegations that solar manufacturers are circumventing the original AD/CVD orders covering Chinese solar components. A separate request seeking a similar investigation into solar imports from Korea has also been submitted, although the Department of Commerce has not yet decided whether it will move forward with that proceeding.
Originally reported by Solar Power World on Jul 17, 2026.
