Trump Imposes 15% Polysilicon Tariff; Solar Stocks Surge
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- Trump imposed a 15% duty on polysilicon products and introduced minimum prices for some related imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, targeting Chinese competition in the solar supply chain.
- First Solar jumped more than 7% in premarket trading, with SolarEdge Technologies rising 1% and the Invesco Solar ETF gaining 4% after the Thursday announcement.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick advised Trump on the executive order, which the administration framed as insulating U.S. domestic chip and solar supply chains while countering China in the AI and energy race.
- Trump said foreign countries had 'weakened United States producers in the polysilicon sector' for decades, arguing the action would 'revitalize' the domestic industry and protect economic and national security.
Why it matters: U.S. solar manufacturers like First Solar (+7%) gained an immediate market boost from the tariff wall, while Chinese polysilicon exporters face a new barrier. The Section 232 action uses national-security trade authority to protect both solar and chip supply chains against Chinese competition in the energy and AI race.
