United States established a minimum import price program and a 15 percent ad valorem tariff on downstream polysilicon derivatives, taking effect for entries on or after December 4, 2026.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered new limits on imports of polysilicon and goods made from it in a proclamation signed Aug. 6, 20261.
Polysilicon is the base material for computer chips and solar panels1. The order, Proclamation 11052, was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 11, 20261.
In short, Washington says too much foreign polysilicon is entering the country and harming national security. Until Dec. 3, 2026, new importers cannot bring in polysilicon without special permission, and existing importers are being watched.
What does Proclamation 11052 do to polysilicon?
The proclamation is titled "Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and Its Derivatives Into the United States"1. Derivatives here means products made from polysilicon further down the supply chain. The White House also posted the order and a fact sheet on its website2.
The president said America has for decades allowed foreign countries to weaken U.S. polysilicon producers1. He said this has hurt both the economy and national security. The stated aim is to rebuild the U.S. polysilicon industry.
The fact sheet describes the action as tariffs on polysilicon and its derivatives3. A tariff is a tax paid on goods when they enter the country. The parts of the documents on file do not give the tariff rate or the list of goods covered.
Why did Washington act on polysilicon?
The order rests on a report from the Secretary of Commerce1. The Secretary investigated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 19621. This law lets the president limit imports that threaten national security.
The Secretary found that polysilicon and its derivative products enter the country in amounts that threaten to impair national security1. The president received this report within the 90 days before the order. He then used it as the basis for action.
The Secretary also found that polysilicon is essential to the U.S. economy and defense1. Chips made from it power radar, communication systems and electronic warfare equipment. They also run almost every part of the modern economy, the order says.
What does the Commerce stockpiling rule require?
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Commerce Department office that handles trade and security, published a second document on Sept. 24, 20264. Its title is "Measures To Restrict Stockpiling of Polysilicon and Polysilicon Derivatives Under Proclamation 11052"4. Stockpiling means buying large amounts early, before new import costs start.
The rule took effect on Sept. 22, 20264. It stays in force only through Dec. 3, 20264. That short window suggests the rule is meant to cover the period before the main import measures begin.
The rule does two main things, according to its table of contents4:
- It monitors existing importers of record, the firms legally responsible for an import.
- It bans polysilicon imports by newly established importers of record.
- It sets up a process to apply for a waiver from that ban.
A waiver is permission to import despite a ban. The rule also has a section on how BIS keeps application details private.
Which polysilicon importers face the new ban?
The ban hits firms that are newly set up as importers of record4. A new company cannot simply register and start bringing in polysilicon during the rule’s window. Its shipments would need an approved BIS waiver first.
Existing and new importers under the BIS rule
| Question | Existing importers of record | Newly established importers |
|---|---|---|
| May they import polysilicon? | Yes | No, banned |
| What BIS does | Monitors them | Reviews waiver applications |
| What a shipment needs | No waiver | An approved BIS waiver |
Existing importers of record are not banned under the rule’s structure. Instead, BIS will monitor them4. The purpose, as the title states, is to stop firms from filling warehouses before costs rise.
For a small importer, this means an older, established customs account matters. A firm that has imported before is watched but can keep trading. A brand-new importing company faces a stop at the border unless it holds a waiver.
How do firms apply for a polysilicon waiver?
The rule adds a new supplement to the U.S. trade regulations at 15 CFR part 7054. Part 705 covers the effect of imported goods on national security. The supplement is titled "Requirements for Applications Requesting a Waiver to the Import Prohibition for Polysilicon and Polysilicon Derivatives"4.
The rule includes a section on review and approval of these applications4. It also includes a section on confidentiality. This means BIS says how it will protect business information that firms send in.
The rule lists docket number 260915-0004 and the reference number RIN 0694-AK574. It appears at 91 FR 60505, on pages 60505 to 605104. Firms can use these numbers to find the full text of the waiver requirements.
BIS is no longer accepting public comments on the rule, its Federal Register page shows4. The rule went into force two days before it was published. It appeared for public inspection on Sept. 22, 20264.
What happens to polysilicon imports after Dec. 3?
The stockpiling rule ends on Dec. 3, 20264. From that point, the import measures set by Proclamation 11052 govern polysilicon shipments. The proclamation itself is 13 pages long, at 91 FR 519751.
Polysilicon import dates
The portions of the proclamation on file stop before its detailed import terms. So the rates, product lists and start dates for those terms cannot be confirmed here. Polysilicon shipments will move from the stockpiling rule to the proclamation’s own terms once the window closes after Dec. 3, 20264.
Sources
- ↩ Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and Its Derivatives Into the United … https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/11/2026-16400/adjusting-imports-of-polysilicon-and-its-derivatives-into-the-united-states
- ↩ Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and its Derivatives into the United … https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/adjusting-imports-of-polysilicon-and-its-derivatives-into-the-united-states/
- ↩ Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Bolsters National Security … https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-bolsters-national-security-and-strengthens-u-s-supply-chains-by-imposing-tariffs-on-polysilicon-and-its-derivatives/
- ↩ Measures To Restrict Stockpiling of Polysilicon and … https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/24/2026-19537/measures-to-restrict-stockpiling-of-polysilicon-and-polysilicon-derivatives-under-proclamation-11052