The U.S. Department of Commerce issued final affirmative determinations on September 11, 2026, in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations covering crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from India, Indonesia, and Laos. The agency concluded that manufacturers in these three nations sold solar components below fair value and received government subsidies, causing material injury to the domestic solar manufacturing sector. This ruling marks the completion of the Commerce Department’s phase in the Solar IV trade litigation.
What it means
The final determinations establish specific duty rates that will apply if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) subsequently finds material injury to domestic producers. For Indian suppliers, the final dumping margin is set at 123.04% for all producers, with a countervailing duty rate of 126.09%, resulting in a combined duty margin as high as 234%. Indonesian exporters face a final dumping margin of 94.36% and countervailing duty rates ranging from 73.2% to 173.7%, creating a combined margin up to 178%. Laotian imports are assigned a final dumping margin of 65.43% and subsidy rates between 82.03% and 153.67%, leading to a combined duty margin of up to 103%. These measures are case-specific orders under the Tariff Act of 1930, distinct from reciprocal tariffs or Section 232 national security actions, though they will stack on top of existing executive tariffs.
The ITC held its final hearing earlier in the week of September 11, 2026, and is scheduled to vote on injury determinations on October 14, 2026. If the ITC votes affirmatively, Commerce will issue official duty orders on November 2, 2026. An affirmative ITC vote would formalize the duties; a negative finding would terminate proceedings and trigger refunds of cash deposits collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Solar IV petitions were filed by First Solar, Hanwha Qcells USA, and Mission Solar Energy as lead petitioners for the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade. While cell procurement for U.S. module assembly has largely shifted away from India, Indonesia, and Laos to countries such as South Korea, the Philippines, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, a separate trade petition against South Korean suppliers was filed by American Manufacturers for Energy Resilience. Recent Section 232 minimum import price floors include $21/kg for raw polysilicon, $100/kg for ingots and wafers, $0.22/watt for solar cells, and $0.38/watt for modules. Domestic module capacity has increased by 750% since 2022, while shipments from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam—targeted by Solar III duty orders implemented in June 2025—dropped from $12.2 billion in 2023 to $1.3 billion in 2025.
Key facts
- Combined duty margins: up to 234% for India, 178% for Indonesia, and 103% for Laos
- Indian final dumping margin: 123.04%; countervailing duty rate: 126.09%
- Indonesian final dumping margin: 94.36%; countervailing rates: 73.2%–173.7%
- Laotian final dumping margin: 65.43%; subsidy rates: 82.03%–153.67%
- ITC injury vote scheduled for October 14, 2026
- Official duty orders to be issued November 2, 2026, if ITC finds injury
- Petitioners: First Solar, Hanwha Qcells USA, Mission Solar Energy (Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade)
- Domestic module capacity increased 750% since 2022
Source: pv-magazine-usa.com, reporting a Department of Commerce announcement