China Extends Polysilicon Trade Measures as Industry Seeks to Rebalance

China’s Ministry of Commerce or Mofcom said it will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of solar-grade polysilicon originating from the U.S. and South Korea for another five years. For certain U.S.-origin products, both anti-dumping and countervailing duties will apply.

According to the announcement, made on Tuesday and effective Wednesday, the suppliers that these duties apply to, and the duty rates, are as follows:

(i) U.S. origin (anti-dumping duties, with countervailing duties where

applicable):

 * REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC, anti-dumping duty 57%;

 * REC Advanced Silicon Materials LLC, anti-dumping duty 57%;

 * Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, anti-dumping duty 53.3% plus countervailing duty 2.1%, totaling 55.4%;

 * MEMC Pasadena, Inc., anti-dumping duty 53.6%;

 * AE Polysilicon Corporation, anti-dumping duty 57% plus countervailing duty 2.1%, totaling 59.1%; and

 * Other U.S. producers, anti-dumping duty 57% plus countervailing duty 2.1%, totaling 59.1%

(ii) South Korean origin (anti-dumping duties only):

 * OCI Company Ltd., 4.4%;

 * Hankook Silicon Co. Ltd., 9.5%;

 * Hanwha Solutions Corp., 8.9%;

 * SMP Ltd., 88.7%;

 * Woongjin Polysilicon Co. Ltd., 113.8%;

 * KCC Corp. and Korean Advanced Materials, 113.8%;

 * Innovation Silicon Co., Ltd., 113.8%; and

 * Other South Korean producers, 88.7%.

An Extension of Previous Measures

The decision marks the second extension of the measures’ implementation since their introduction in 2014. In January that year, Mofcom announced the imposition of countervailing duties on imports of solar-grade polysilicon originating from the U.S., effective immediately for five years, with duty rates ranging from 0% to 2.1%.

At the same time, anti-dumping duties were imposed on imports of solar-grade polysilicon from both the U.S. and South Korea, with rates of 53.3% to 57% for U.S. producers and 2.4% to 48.7% for South Korean producers, also for a five-year term.

In November 2017, Mofcom announced an adjustment to the anti-dumping duties on South Korean-origin solar-grade polysilicon, revising the rates from the original 2.4%-48.7% range to 4.4%-113.8%.

Subsequently, in January 2020, the Ministry issued a notice to continue imposing countervailing duties on U.S.-origin solar-grade polysilicon at the rates set in 2014, effective Jan. 20, 2020, for another five-year period. Concurrently, anti-dumping duties on imports from the U.S. and South Korea were extended at the rates established under the 2014 measures and the 2017 adjustment, also for five years.

According to Mofcom, in November 2024, 13 Chinese polysilicon producers–including Tongwei, GCL and Daqo–applied for a sunset review of the existing duty measures. The companies argued that lifting the duties could result in renewed dumping and subsidy practices by U.S. and South Korean suppliers, posing further risks to China’s domestic polysilicon industry, and therefore called for the anti-dumping and countervailing measures to continue. Mofcom formally initiated the sunset review investigation in January 2025.

Industry Weighs Impact

China’s polysilicon sector has been grappling with persistent overcapacity, disorderly competition, sharply declining prices and widespread producer losses for nearly two years. The market is now relying on low operating rates to facilitate price recovery and capacity rationalization.

In this context, the extension of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on polysilicon imports from the U.S. and South Korea is viewed as supportive, as it strengthens an external trade barrier, limits the impact of imports on the domestic market, and buys time for further rebalancing of China’s polysilicon supply and demand.

Another industry insider cautioned, however, that trade measures provide only temporary protection. For China’s polysilicon industry, the more critical priorities are technological upgrading, cost optimization and a transition toward more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable production. Reducing carbon intensity and improving structural competitiveness, the source said, are essential to strengthening the industry’s long-term resilience.

From a spot market perspective, some participants noted that, based on the Mofcom’s list of companies subject to the extended duties, most affected suppliers have already exited solar-grade polysilicon production. As a result, they expect the policy extension to have limited impact on near-term pricing, trading activity or the operations of affected manufacturers.

–Reporting by Summer Zhang, szhang@opisnet.com; Editing by Mei-Hwen Wong, mwong@opisnet.com