▲ Hanwha Qcells' solar module factory in Dalton, Georgia, U.S.
Three U.S. solar panel manufacturers have petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate allegations that South Korean solar cells are being used to circumvent U.S. tariffs on Chinese products.
According to Reuters, Canadian Solar, SEG, and Heliene—three companies operating solar panel factories in the U.S.—submitted a petition to the Department of Commerce on June 18. The petition claims that Qcells, the U.S. subsidiary of Hanwha Qcells, shifted its production base from China to South Korea to avoid tariffs.
Under U.S. trade law, if processing in a third country is deemed minimal, tariffs can be extended to imports from that country as well.
Solar cells are the fundamental components of solar modules (panels) that convert sunlight into electricity.
Qcells has previously been a key company leading U.S. trade petitions targeting solar imports from Southeast Asia, but this time, it has become the subject of such a petition.
Some of the Southeast Asian imports in question were actually supplied to the factories of the companies that filed this petition.
Qcells spokesperson Marta Stoepker told Reuters, "We have a 10-year track record of leading solar manufacturing reshoring in the U.S. and supporting strong trade enforcement," adding that "the evidence will show that the allegations are baseless."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.