A group of major U.S. solar panel manufacturers has asked American trade officials to investigate solar imports from Ethiopia, alleging that some companies are using the East African country to bypass existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made solar products.
The petition, filed on Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Commerce, marks the latest effort by American solar manufacturers to protect domestic production from what they describe as unfair competition linked to Chinese supply chains.
The complaint alleges that Japanese solar company Toyo and Origin Solar Manufacturing are importing Chinese-made wafers into Ethiopia, where the materials are processed into solar cells before being assembled into solar panels in Ethiopia or Vietnam for export to the United States.
Under U.S. trade laws, it is illegal for companies to circumvent tariffs by routing goods through third countries where only limited processing or minor modifications take place before export.
The petitioning coalition includes U.S.-based First Solar, South Korean conglomerate Hanwha through its solar manufacturing subsidiary Qcells, as well as six smaller American solar manufacturers.
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Both First Solar and Qcells have invested billions of dollars in expanding solar manufacturing facilities in the United States in recent years, encouraged by government incentives aimed at boosting domestic clean energy production and reducing reliance on imported solar equipment.
The filing highlights Ethiopia’s rapid emergence as a solar manufacturing hub. According to the petition, the United States did not import any solar products from Ethiopia until mid-2025. However, by the end of last year, Ethiopian solar exports to the U.S. had reached approximately $300 million, making the country the seventh-largest source of solar imports into the American market.
Industry groups backing the petition argue that the sudden rise in exports mirrors patterns previously seen in Southeast Asian countries where Chinese solar manufacturers established operations after Washington imposed tariffs on Chinese-made products.
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“What we’re seeing in Ethiopia follows a familiar playbook,” Tim Brightbill, lead attorney for the petitioning group and a partner at the law firm Wiley Rein, said in a statement.
“American solar manufacturing is at an inflection point: With billions invested, thousands of jobs created, real capacity coming online, we are not going to let serial tariff evasion undercut that progress,” he added.
The United States has maintained anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese solar products for more than a decade after investigations concluded that Chinese manufacturers benefited from unfair government subsidies that allowed them to sell products below market prices.
As Chinese solar firms expanded manufacturing operations abroad, the U.S. extended tariffs to products imported from countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, arguing that many factories there were effectively controlled by Chinese companies seeking to avoid U.S. trade restrictions.
The latest petition suggests that Ethiopia may now be emerging as another alternative production base within the global solar supply chain.
The case also underscores growing tensions within the global clean energy transition, where governments are balancing climate goals with efforts to protect domestic industries and jobs.
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The Biden administration and subsequent U.S. trade authorities have strongly supported domestic solar manufacturing through tax credits, subsidies and industrial policy measures designed to strengthen local supply chains and reduce dependence on imports from Asia.
At the same time, critics of tariffs argue that import restrictions can raise costs for solar developers and potentially slow the deployment of renewable energy projects needed to meet climate targets.
The Department of Commerce is expected to review the petition before deciding whether to open a formal investigation into the alleged tariff circumvention activities involving Ethiopian solar exports.
