U.S. Solar Panel Imports From China Increase
According to two Chinese solar enterprises, after months of stagnation brought on by the introduction of a new legislation barring goods created with forced labor, shipments of solar panels into the United States are now beginning to speed up.
At an energy conference on Monday, a White House representative confirmed the thawing in exports and attributed it to more precise guidelines for adhering to the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA).
Major Chinese suppliers, such as Trina Solar and Jinko Solar, are relieved by the gains as their products are now finally entering the lucrative U.S. market after lengthy delays.
Products created in China's Xinjiang province, where it is rumored that Chinese authorities have set up work camps for ethnic Uyghur and other Muslim populations, are prohibited from entering the country under the labor protection law. China denies any wrongdoing.
The flow of panels that have been delayed at the border or waiting for delivery from abroad should help reduce delays in the construction of U.S. solar projects caused by the law's implementation, which took effect in June of last year.
According to the business, the Biden administration's aspirations for renewable energy and climate change were at risk due to the project building freeze.
"John Podesta, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden on renewable energy issues, told reporters on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston on Monday that there is clearer information out and more shipments are going through. He omitted facts regarding the number of panels that were passing through customs.
More than 900 megawatts of Trina Solar Co Ltd's solar panels have passed through U.S. customs in the previous four months, with less than 1% of those goods being held for inspection, the company told Reuters. More than 150,000 households could be powered with that amount of capacity.
Upon request from U.S. Customs, Trina is able to give thorough traceability paperwork thanks to its data systems and supply chain management "Melissa Cavanagh, a representative for Trina U.S., stated in an email. "This has considerably cut down on port delays."
