ADDIS ABABA, May 13 – A group of United States solar panel manufacturers has asked federal trade authorities to investigate imports from Ethiopia, alleging that Chinese-linked firms are routing products through the country to avoid US tariffs.
In a filing submitted to the US Department of Commerce, the coalition claimed that companies including Japan’s Toyo and Origin Solar Manufacturing are using Chinese-made wafers to produce solar cells in Ethiopia, before assembling finished panels in Ethiopia or Vietnam for export to the United States.
The petitioners which include Arizona-based First Solar, South Korea’s Qcells under Hanwha, and six smaller US manufacturers, all of which have invested heavily in domestic production capacity in recent years, said such practices amount to tariff circumvention, which is prohibited under US trade rules that bar companies from rerouting goods through third countries with only minimal processing to evade duties.
Ethiopia has emerged as a growing solar production hub. The United States reportedly imported no solar panels from the country until mid-2025, yet shipments reached about $300 million by the end of the year, making Ethiopia the seventh-largest source of US solar imports.
The filing also points to the broader pattern of Chinese-linked solar production shifting across multiple countries, following long-standing US tariffs on Chinese solar products due to anti-dumping and countervailing duty findings.
Over the past decade, Washington has expanded those duties to include goods routed through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam after investigations found that manufacturers relocated assembly operations to bypass restrictions while maintaining Chinese supply chains.
The Commerce Department has not yet announced whether it will open a formal investigation.
