From pv magazine USA
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the addition of 37 more businesses to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), including five solar supply chain providers.
Signed into law by President Biden in December 2021, the UFLPA places a ban on all solar product imports from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, unless products are demonstrated to not be connected to forced labor. China has denied any use of forced labor practices in Xinjiang.
“Effective January 15, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply a rebuttable presumption that goods produced by the named 37 entities will be prohibited from entering the United States as a result of the companies’ activities,” said a press release from the Department of Homeland Security.
As much as 50% of the global supply of polysilicon, the essential material in manufacturing conventional solar panels, was produced in the Xinjing region at the time President Biden signed the UFLPA into law. Suppliers have since made efforts to de-tether their supply chains from the region, but this has proved complex.
The companies added to the UFLPA entity list include:
- Donghai JA Solar Technology – From Jiangsu Province, China, a company that focuses on research and development of silicon rods, wafers, ingots, and solar cell modules.
- Hongyuan Green Energy Co. – A vertically integrated manufacturer in power stations, industrial and crystalline silicon, wafers, battery and modules. Its subsidiary Hongyuan New Materials was also added to the list.
- Jiangsu Meike Solar Co. – A silicon rod and wafer manufacturer and its subsidiary Baotou Meike were added to the UFLPA list.
- Shuangliang Silicon Materials – A manufacturer of crystal silicon rods and wafers in Batou City.
- Xinjiang Energy Group – A state-owned power developer in coal, wind, PV, oil and gas.
“With each addition to the UFLPA Entity List, we are building momentum and showing that our efforts are sustainable and enduring in eradicating forced labor in our nation’s supply chains,” said Acting Under Secretary for Policy, Robert Paschall. “This largest-ever batch of additions reinforces that we are implementing the full force of this law, making impactful updates to the UFLPA Entity List, and enhancing U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s enforcement capabilities.”
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