PVTIME – The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing and Trade (AASMT) has formally requested that the US Department of Commerce launch an anti-circumvention investigation into c-Si PV cells and modules assembled in Ethiopia using components originating from China.
The coalition, whose members include First Solar, Hanwha QCells and Silfab Solar, alleges that two manufacturers, Toyo Solar and Origin Solar Manufacturing, use Chinese silicon wafers to produce cells in Ethiopia. These cells are then assembled into modules in Ethiopia or Vietnam for export to the US.
The AASMT claims that these firms are using Ethiopia as an export platform to circumvent existing AD/CVD orders by subjecting Chinese inputs to minimal processing before shipping finished products to the US. According to the alliance, US imports of Ethiopian solar products rose from zero in June 2025 to $300 million by December 2025.
Both manufacturers produce solar cells in Ethiopia. Toyo Solar, which launched its 2GW annual capacity factory last year, plans to double output with a second plant in Hawassa. However, the firm’s Chief Strategy Officer, Rhone Resch, refutes these allegations, stating that Ethiopian-produced cells use US and Malaysian polysilicon, with the wafers being processed in Southeast Asia. Toyo is building facilities in the US, with the aim of achieving 2GW of annual module capacity in Texas this year.
Origin Solar, which operates a 4.2GW annual capacity cell facility in Ethiopia, began exporting to the US earlier this year, according to the state-owned Industrial Park Development Corporation (IPDC).
Tim Brightbill of Wiley Rein LLP commented that the situation follows a familiar pattern of state-subsidised manufacturers evading US trade rules by shifting minimal processing to new countries. He added that US solar manufacturing is at a critical juncture, with significant investment and jobs at stake.
The request comes as AD/CVD cases against India, Indonesia, and Laos continue. Preliminary duties were announced in February 2026 and last month, with final rulings due in late 2026. This would be the fifth AD/CVD case related to the solar industry, following investigations targeting China, including the Taiwan region, and four Southeast Asian nations. The AASMT is calling for an investigation to be launched within 30 days and for a preliminary ruling in favour of domestic relief to be made.
Scan the QR code to follow PVTIME official account on Wechat for latest news on PV+ES
 has formally requested that the US Department of Commerce launch an anti-circumvention investigation into c-Si PV cells and modules…){kind=link}