- Published 2026.11.05 00:00
US ITC makes final injury determination on solar products from three countries
Critical circumstances applied to some Indonesian volumes, with 90-day retroactive tariffs
The US government has completed the final procedure to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties of up to 268% on solar cells and modules produced in India, Indonesia, and Laos. By adding sanctions on three countries identified as transshipment routes following the existing four Southeast Asian nations, trade barriers aimed at protecting the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain have been raised further.
According to a pre-publication document in the US Federal Register on Nov. 4, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) posted a notice of review of its investigation results finding that imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from India, Indonesia, and Laos caused material injury to the US industry. This formalizes the ITC's final affirmative determination made on Oct. 14, and the notice will be officially published in the Federal Register on Nov. 5.
The investigation began in August 2025 following a petition by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade (AASMT), formed by local solar manufacturers including Hanwha Q CELLS USA and First Solar. They argued that foreign companies were relocating production bases from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam to India, Indonesia, and Laos to avoid US tariffs and mount a low-price offensive.
Under the final duty rates determined by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) in September 2026, high tariffs will be imposed on solar products imported from the three countries. Indonesia faces a 94.36% anti-dumping duty plus company-specific countervailing duties of 73.2% to 173.7%, reaching up to 268%. India is subject to a combined 123.04% anti-dumping duty and 126.09% countervailing duty, totaling about 249%, while Laos gets a 65.43% anti-dumping duty and countervailing duties of 82.03% to 153.67%.
In particular, the ITC made an affirmative critical circumstances determination for Indonesian imports in this notice. While it found that Indian and Laotian products do not seriously undermine the remedial effect of existing anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders, it stated that Indonesian products are likely to seriously undermine the remedial effect.
When critical circumstances are found, the effective date of duties is moved earlier. Duties can be imposed retroactively on volumes imported beginning 90 days before the DOC's preliminary determination. Accordingly, shipments from certain Indonesian exporters such as PT Blue Sky Solar will be subject to retroactive application even for imports before the preliminary determination.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will collect cash deposits at the determined rates on solar cells and modules imported from those countries as soon as the DOC issues the official duty orders. Local manufacturers such as Hanwha Q Cells, which has built North America's largest integrated solar production complex in Georgia based on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will be able to further defend their price competitiveness in the market through these trade sanctions.
※ This article is an AI translation of the Korean original published by Korea Credit News; it was checked by automated quality guards and published by the English edition desk.
