A major Chinese producer of material used to make solar panels will be barred from the US market as part of a broader effort to halt commerce tied to China's repressive campaign against Uyghurs and other minorities, the Biden administration said Thursday.
US Customs and Border Protection will immediately halt shipments from the Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd. And its subsidiaries under a law that bans the import of goods produced with forced labour.
In addition, the Commerce Department will add six Chinese organisations linked to the industry that produces raw materials and components of the solar industry in the Xinjiang region to a list of entities from any access to the US market, the administration said in a fact sheet announcing the new restrictions.
These latest US moves could make it harder for the administration to meet renewable energy goals because about 45% of the global supply of the polysilicon used to make photovoltaic cells for solar panels comes from Xinjiang.
“These actions demonstrate our commitment to imposing additional costs on the People's Republic of China for engaging in cruel and inhumane forced labor practices and ensuring that Beijing plays by the rules of fair trade as part of the rules-based international order,” the White House said in announcing the trade actions.
It's part of a campaign that has gained global momentum to apply economic pressure on the Chinese government over its forced assimilation of largely Muslim minorities in the far western Xinjiang region.