USITC To Decide Fate Of India/Indonesia/Laos Solar Duties in October

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced preliminary antidumping (AD) findings on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, whether or not assembled, from India, Indonesia, and Laos, setting dumping margins of 123.04% for India, 35.17% for Indonesia, and 22.46% for LaosInternational Trade Administration.

This investigation was formally initiated in August 2025 in response to a petition filed by the U.S. Solar Manufacturing and Trade Coalition, a group of domestic PV manufacturers led by First Solar, Hanwha Qcells, and Mission Solar. The coalition argued that, at a critical stage of domestic industry expansion, surging low‑cost imports from these countries have undermined U.S. manufacturing capacity and jobs.

The newly imposed preliminary antidumping duties come on top of preliminary countervailing duties (CVD) issued by Commerce in February 2026, which addressed alleged government subsidies. When combined, the total preliminary rates facing most exporters are sharply higher:

India: ~234%

Indonesia: 121% to 178%

Laos: ~103%

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has instructed importers to post cash deposits based on these preliminary rates, effective immediately. The three countries represent a large share of the U.S. supply chain: official data show that in 2025, U.S. imports of PV products from India, Indonesia, and Laos reached $4.5 billion, equivalent to about two‑thirds of total U.S. PV imports.

Although the rates are already enforced via cash deposits, they remain provisional until final determinations are issued later this year. The final AD/CVD rulings are scheduled for July 13, 2026, for India and Indonesia, and around September 9, 2026, for Laos.

The final stage of the process lies with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which must determine whether the subject imports have caused material injury to the U.S. domestic industry. The ITC's final injury decision is set for October 19, 2026. A negative ITC ruling would terminate the investigations and result in a full refund of all cash deposits collected. A positive injury finding would lead to the issuance of final tariff orders on October 26, 2026.