As part of its ongoing supply chain diversification in response to the US’ ongoing anti-dumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigation, the US arm of the Chinese solar manufacturer has confirmed that its module and cell production in Southeast Asia will use wafers produced at the Vietnam facility.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) confirmed the AD/CVD findings last month, stating that it would permit the import of modules built in other countries with cells created in Southeast Asia.
Trina has already begun building a supply chain in which polysilicon is purchased from outside of China and modules and cells are manufactured in Southeast Asia, according to the company. The wafer fabrication plant will diversify its supply chain further, bolstering its compliance with US import rules and strengthening its supply to the country.
President Biden’s decision to waive new AD/CVD import tariffs until 2024 has somewhat softened the US’s stance on Chinese imports, but the urgency to respond to tariffs and module shortages, as well as the impetus to capitalise on the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) tax credits, has led to a significant increase in domestic manufacturing announcements.
PV Tech noted last month that since the passage of the IRA, 22 GW of new module and cell production capacity has been announced in the United States. This week, solar producer Qcells announced a $2.5 billion investment in the development of a module, cell, wafer, and ingot production chain in the United States.
