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Chinese solar cell and panel exports continued their upward trajectory in April, despite the termination of the country’s export tax refunds on April 1. According to official Chinese customs data reported by Reuters, demand for solar installations in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe remained strong amid the ongoing oil and gas crisis.
While exports to Southeast Asia and Africa eased from the record levels seen in March—a period that had benefited from the refund policy—they still increased by 75 to 85 percent compared to April 2025. Market expectations of higher product prices following the removal of the tax refund did not dampen the momentum of overseas shipments in April.
Specifically, China’s solar cell and panel exports to Africa surged by 83 percent in April year-over-year. Purchases by South Africa rose by more than 81 percent, and the Democratic Republic of Congo emerged as a notable new buyer. In Southeast Asia, exports jumped by 75 percent year-over-year in April, with the Philippines more than doubling its volume of solar equipment imports from China.
Earlier data analyzed by the energy think tank Ember showed that China’s solar exports hit a record high of 68 gigawatts (GW) in March, which was double the February export volume. That spike was attributed to rising energy prices and an additional boost from changes to Chinese tax rebates. The value of solar photovoltaic technology exports soared to $4.8 billion in March, more than double the $2.2 billion recorded in February.
Overall, Chinese exports of clean technology—including solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries—surged to a record high in March. This was driven by a major oil and gas supply shock resulting from the war in the Middle East, which pushed consumers and governments to rely more heavily on renewable energy and electric vehicles. The total export value of China’s clean tech reached $25.77 billion in March, according to Ember. That figure was 30 percent higher than February’s export value and more than 50 percent higher than China’s overseas clean tech sales in March 2025.
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