US imposes 15% polysilicon tariff to shore up chip and solar supply chains

President Trump signed an executive order imposing a 15% tariff on imported polysilicon and derivatives, effective December 4, with minimum prices of $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for ingots and wafers, $0.22 per watt for solar cells, and $0.38 per watt for solar modules, and enabling incentives to spur US production. The move aims to bolster domestic chip and solar supply chains against China, drawing praise from US manufacturers like Hemlock and Wacker while eliciting Chinese objections as part of broader tech-tension dynamics.