Trump unveils trade actions to compete with China on solar and chips

Donald Trump unveiled trade actions on Thursday at the White House. The White House imposed price floors and a 15% tariff on products made from polysilicon, which is primarily produced by China. U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 aims to support domestic chip and solar supply chains. The order stated, "The plan of action in this proclamation will, among other things, help ensure the commercial viability of United States production of polysilicon and its derivatives that is necessary to meet United States economic and national security requirements."

Polysilicon is the raw material used in semiconductors and solar panels. The United States has two polysilicon factories: Hemlock Semiconductor in Michigan, a joint venture between Corning and Japan's Shin-Etsu Handotai, and Munich-based Wacker Chemie's factory in Tennessee. A Corning spokesperson said, "Today's decision encourages continued investment in U.S. capacity and supports long-term U.S. competitiveness." Wacker stated it was reviewing the actions to fully understand their impact.