We use cookies to improve your experience and for marketing. Read our cookie policy or manage cookies.
Search across reports, market insights, and blog stories.
Three US solar manufacturers have submitted a fresh anti-circumvention petition to the US Department of Commerce, targeting Hanwha and other producers of solar cells over shipments from South Korea to the United States.
Heliene, SEG Solar, and Canadian Solar—operating under the banner American Manufacturers for ENergy Resilience (AMER)—filed the request just over one month after a similar complaint, spearheaded by The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade (AASMT), was lodged against Toyo Solar and Origin Solar Manufacturing in Ethiopia. This sequence underscores the US solar industry’s increasingly protectionist posture toward foreign-made solar products.
Unlike an earlier anti-dumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) case where Hanwha stood alongside the AASMT coalition, the company now finds itself on the receiving end of the petition. In its inquiry report, AMER singled out Hanwha as the leading exporter of crystalline silicon PV (CSPV) cells from South Korea to the US.
The three manufacturers allege that South Korean cell producers are evading AD/CVD duties—imposed since 2012 on Chinese crystalline silicon solar cells, whether assembled into modules or not—by utilizing Chinese wafers. The petition, filed by law firm Lighthill PC on behalf of AMER, further notes that Korean producers require no domestic research and development to manufacture crystalline silicon solar cells using Chinese-origin components.
According to the report, available evidence indicates that effectively no ongoing Korean R&D exists for solar-grade polysilicon, ingot, or wafer production in Korea, as those key CSPV inputs are no longer manufactured there. Instead, companies like Hanwha Solutions import ingots, wafers, and other essential CSPV components from China to produce cells in Korea.
Although AMER explicitly named Hanwha, its subsidiary Hanwha Qcells, and HD Hyundai Energy Solutions among others, the group requested the Department of Commerce to initiate a country-wide anti-circumvention inquiry covering South Korea.
PV Tech sought comment from Hanwha regarding the alleged anti-circumvention request. Moustafa Ramadan, head of PV Tech Market Research, characterized the case as one of the more intriguing AD/CVD filings in recent memory and among the least anticipated. He noted that Hanwha Qcells, the primary South Korean cell manufacturer shipping to the US, has made substantial investments in the American market and has been a petitioner in most recent AD/CVD cases, but now finds itself as the main target. Ramadan added that while some Southeast Asian and African nations were obvious examples of a recurring pattern, South Korea appeared less clear-cut. However, he emphasized that the US administration’s message is unmistakable: to participate in the US market, companies must manufacture within the country.
As Ramadan highlighted, Hanwha Qcells invested over US$2.5 billion in a vertically-integrated facility in Georgia, which recently commenced solar cell production. Full operations—including ingots and wafers—are anticipated by the third quarter of this year, with an annual nameplate capacity of 3.3GW each for ingots, wafers, and cells, and 3.5GW for modules.
Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business
A Quick Overview of Market Performance
Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects
Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business
Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain
Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export
The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry
The Largest Import Supplying Countries
The Largest Destinations for Exports
The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles
The Largest Markets And Their Profiles
Instant access. No credit card needed.
Online access to 2M+ reports, dashboards, and tables. Trusted by Fortune 500 teams.
IndexBox, Inc.
2093 Philadelphia Pike #1441
Claymont, DE 19703, USA
Contact us
© 2026 IndexBox, Inc

source