Staff writer, with CNA and Reuters
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Taiwanese solar manufacturers yesterday said that new US import tariffs on silicon and related products would have a limited impact.The comments came after the White House on Thursday imposed a series of price floors and a 15 percent tariff on products made from polysilicon, the raw material used in semiconductors and solar panels that is primarily produced by China.US President Donald Trump’s decision under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 is aimed at supporting domestic chip and solar supply chains needed to compete with Beijing on artificial intelligence and energy.
President Donald Trump holds a signed proclamation regarding polysilicon imports in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick watches.
Polysilicon, an ultra-pure form of silicon, sits at the start of the semiconductor and solar manufacturing supply chains. Manufacturers turn silicon wafers into solar cells and then assemble those into panels used in solar projects.American solar factories for the past decade have accused their Chinese rivals of dumping solar panels in the market, receiving unfair Chinese government subsidies and moving their manufacturing to other countries to dodge US tariffs.
