Ministry of Trade raises concerns with U.S. over polysilicon, derivatives tariffs

The Trade Ministry here has urged the U.S. for "special consideration" with regard to import restrictions such as tariffs on "polysilicon and its derivatives", which are crucial in the production of solar cells and semiconductors.

The request follows news that the Trump administration is exploring the possibility of imposing tariffs on polysilicon imports into the American market under Section 2-hundred-32 of the Trade Expansion Act citing national security.

The South Korean government and relevant companies here for their parts have shared concerns that broad tariffs may disrupt supply chains critical to both nations' economies and hinder South Korean investments in the U.S. potentially affecting operations at Hanwha Qcells' Georgia solar cell facility and OCI's Texas plant.