Trump’s polysilicon tariff is now in place after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday imposing a 15% duty on imported products made from polysilicon, a material used in semiconductors and solar panels. The order also sets minimum import prices for polysilicon and related products, marking a fresh step in the Trump administration’s push to bolster domestic industry.
The move follows a national security investigation into overseas production of the material and is aimed at shielding U.S. manufacturers from growing pressure tied to China’s chip sector. The administration says the policy will help American producers compete more effectively in a market where China has become a dominant force. Trump said he accepted recommendations from Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to establish both the tariff and the price floor.
Trump’s polysilicon tariff also comes with incentives intended to increase production at home. In the order, Trump argued that foreign firms have long undercut U.S. producers in the polysilicon market. He said the material matters for military equipment and electronics, and linked the decline in U.S. output to heavy import dependence.
The president said U.S. share of global polysilicon production has dropped sharply over time, falling from 50% in 2005 to less than 2% in 2024. He also said China holds a near monopoly over polysilicon production. The order is likely to aid Hemlock Semiconductor and Wacker Chemie, the two main domestic producers named in the report.
