US Reviews Restrictions on Imports of Polysilicon from Xinjiang Over 'Forced Labor' Concerns

Concerns Over Disruption of Fossil Power Plant Shutdown Plans Amid Import Regulations

U.S. President Joe Biden is inspecting a solar power facility during his candidacy last year.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Reports have emerged that the Biden administration in the United States is considering a ban on imports of raw materials for solar power panels made in China.

On the 21st (local time), the U.S. political media outlet Politico cited four sources, reporting that the Biden administration is considering banning imports of polysilicon, the raw material for solar power panels produced in Xinjiang, China.

About half of the world's demand for polysilicon is produced in Xinjiang.

Sources predicted that in addition to measures on all polysilicon produced in Xinjiang, there may be limited restrictions targeting specific factories or companies.

However, the timing for implementing this measure has not yet been decided.

Politico explained that members of the U.S. Congress have been urging the administration in a bipartisan manner to restrict imports of polysilicon from Xinjiang. The U.S. has already imposed import restrictions on Xinjiang cotton and tomatoes due to forced labor and human rights violations.

The issue is that the polysilicon import regulation could become an obstacle to the Biden administration's clean energy expansion policy.

Politico expects solar power generation in the U.S. to quadruple over the next decade, but if polysilicon imports from Xinjiang are restricted, these plans could be disrupted. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the Biden administration's plan to end fossil fuel power generation by 2035 will inevitably face setbacks.