Thousands of shipments of solar products worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been stopped and piled up at U.S. ports, federal customs officials and industry sources said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 1,053 shipments of solar equipment between June 21 and October 25, all of which have yet to be released.
Under federal regulations, authorities won't reveal manufacturers or confirm details on the total number of solar devices in shipments. The data, which has never been made public in the past, could undermine the Biden administration's efforts to combat climate change and drive America's energy transition.
Three industry sources revealed that the seized products include solar panels and polycrystalline silicon cells, which may have a capacity of up to 1GW (1 million watts), mainly from three Chinese manufacturers Longi Green Energy Technology, Trina Solar. Solar) and JinkoSolar.
The three mid-sized factories, which account for a third of U.S. solar panel supply, have stopped shipping to the U.S. amid fears that more shipments will be held up, people familiar with the matter said. In response to the report, LONGi Green Energy and Tianhe Solar did not respond; JinkoSolar said that the company is cooperating with U.S. customs to prove that the supply is not related to forced labor, and "believes that these goods will be accepted."
According to statistics, US solar installations fell by 23% in Q3 this year, and nearly 23GW of solar energy plans were delayed, mainly due to the lack of access to solar panels.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not mention when the goods would be seized, and spokeswoman Rhonda Lawson said it would all depend on how quickly importers can submit the required documents.
