LONGi Faces Scrutiny as US Tariff Waiver Expires Amid Challenges in Southeast Asian Solar Operations

LONGi, a Chinese solar manufacturer, is facing questions over its operations in Southeast Asian factories as President Biden’s AD/CVD waiver expired. The company cited multiple challenges in the industry, including product price changes, technology iteration acceleration, and trade policy adjustment, as one of the biggest financial losses of any major Chinese solar manufacturers over the last year. Longingi’s subsidiary, Vina Solar, was found to be circumventing US import tariffs by the Department of Commerce (DOC) last year, along with other companies accused of moving parts of its supply from China to Southeast Asia for “minor processing” before shipping to the US to avoid US tariffs on Chinese goods. The actual impact of this round of tariffs is uncertain as some manufacturers, like Trina Solar in Vietnam, have expanded wafer capacity outside of China, which enables shipments to US. However, there may be more stringent laws coming down the pipe, which could impact further impact on the industry.