White House unveils America First Seafood Strategy to remove foreign trade barriers

The White House unveiled the America First Seafood Strategy, a whole-of-government approach that USTR says will remove foreign trade barriers and open new markets for U.S. fishermen. The strategy cites Japan's tariffs of up to 10% and import quotas, the EU CATCH documentation and reporting requirements, India's fisheries subsidy program and Vietnam's IUU fishing practices as barriers, and notes commitments from Taiwan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador and Indonesia on subsidies, labor rights and IUU fishing. USTR says it will continue to use negotiations and enforcement tools to open markets for U.S. seafood exports.

BNEF raises U.S. energy storage deployment forecast by 30% despite trade barriers

BloombergNEF said in its semiannual energy storage outlook that the United States will deploy 30% more energy storage capacity over the next 10 years than it forecast six months ago, reaching cumulative deployments of 213.9 GW by 2030 and 434.4 GW by 2036. BNEF puts the combined duty on stationary storage batteries imported from mainland China at 40.9%, and cites import restrictions on foreign-made power conversion systems and recent broad limits on imports of bulk power system equipment among the trade barriers.

Intertek CEA forecasts 15% to 30% decline in U.S. energy storage prices by 2030 as trade barriers and 45X rules reshape supply

Intertek CEA's ESS Price Forecasting Report (Q3 – 2026) projects U.S. DC block prices will decline roughly 15% to 30% by 2030, while import markets could see reductions exceeding 40% as Chinese manufacturers shift from standard prismatic cells to larger formats. The companion ESS Supply, Technology, and Policy Report (Q3 – 2026) cites supply concentration in China, delayed U.S. factory timelines and evolving tax incentives, with about 11% of announced 2026 U.S. production capacity at risk of slipping into 2027.

China solar module prices hold at $0.107/W as proposed price floors draw skepticism

China's TOPCon module export prices held steady for a second week, with the OPIS Chinese Module Marker for TOPCon modules below 645 W from China unchanged at $0.107/W FOB China in the Oct. 20 OPIS Global Solar Markets Report, despite a proposal by eight major polysilicon manufacturers at an Oct. 11 meeting in Hangzhou for minimum selling prices of CNY 0.79/W for TOPCon modules, CNY 0.86/W for back-contact modules and CNY 43/kg for polysilicon, inclusive of tax. Trade sources questioned whether the floors could be sustained, since industry self-discipline agreements are not legally enforceable price controls.

NeoVolta opens 4-GWh battery storage factory in Georgia through joint venture with PotisEdge

NeoVolta Power, a joint venture between NeoVolta and PotisEdge, a LONGi Green Energy company, opened a 4-GWh lithium battery energy storage system manufacturing site in Pendergrass, Georgia, in September, with a second line planned to reach 8 GWh as orders warrant. CEO Ardes Johnson said the site is designed to support FEOC-compliant and domestic content-eligible solutions, that NeoVolta holds the controlling interest and 100% of the board, and that the FEOC rules are still being finalized by the IRS. He said U.S.-made cells are not yet available at the needed volume or price, so Chinese-sourced cells have bridged the gap in the near term.

Linton files patent suit against JSG over crystal pullers for 10 GW Texas solar line

Linton Crystal Technologies filed a patent infringement complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Chinese machinery manufacturer Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical and Electrical (JSG), alleging JSG infringed its patented seed-lifting and rotating systems used in Czochralski crystal pullers. Linton claims JSG won a contract to supply crystal-growth furnaces for a 10 GW photovoltaic production line in Texas using the contested designs and began importing the equipment, with deliveries scheduled in 2026. Tesla is not named as a defendant; the case, Linton Crystal Technologies Corp. v. Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd., is pending before Judge Rodney Gilstrap in the Marshall Division.

OPIS reports China TOPCon cell prices fell after Golden Week as industry weighs proposed price floors

The OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released Oct. 13 shows FOB China TOPCon M10 cell prices fell 0.86% week on week to $0.0463/W and TOPCon 210R cells fell 0.66% to $0.0454/W, ending two weeks of stability and leaving both formats about 13% below late-August peaks. A trader source said U.S. restrictions on stockpiling, under a temporary rule covering polysilicon and its derivatives ahead of Section 232 measures taking effect Dec. 4, were expected to further weaken overseas demand.

China's solar anti-involution campaign adds mandatory efficiency and energy standards from Jan. 1, 2027

China's anti-involution campaign against below-cost competition in solar manufacturing now combines CPIA's standardized cost-accounting model, an Aug. 6 pledge by eight polysilicon producers representing more than 90% of effective capacity to price at or above full cost, and three mandatory national standards taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. The standards cap polysilicon energy consumption at 6.3 kg of standard coal equivalent per kilogram and set minimum Grade 3 module conversion efficiency of 23.2% for TOPCon and HJT and 23.5% for BC. The Silicon Industry Branch estimates effective polysilicon capacity will fall to about 2.4 million MT after restructuring, 16.4% below end-2024 levels.

China wafer prices hold steady as BIS stockpiling rule curbs U.S.-bound demand

China's N-type M10 and 210R wafer FOB prices were unchanged week on week at $0.149/pc and $0.153/pc, per the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released Oct. 6, with wafer inventories estimated at around 25 GW. A temporary final rule issued in late September by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security restricts stockpiling of polysilicon and polysilicon derivatives ahead of Section 232 import adjustments taking effect Dec. 4, 2026, covering imports during the transition period from Sept. 22 to Dec. 3.

Global polysilicon prices hold steady as China price gains meet buyer resistance

U.S. Commerce temporary final rule restricts polysilicon stockpiling ahead of Section 232 import adjustments

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a temporary final rule restricting stockpiling of polysilicon and its derivatives ahead of Section 232 import adjustments taking effect on Dec. 4, 2026, covering imports during the transition period from Sept. 22 to Dec. 3. The rule followed trade data showing a sharp increase in polysilicon imports after the Section 232 measures were released in early August. One market participant said the rule could curb China-origin wafers, cells and modules entering through circumvention channels involving smaller traders and companies, with limited direct impact on global polysilicon demand.

Energy Vault tracks implementation of Trump executive order restricting foreign-made bulk power components

Energy Vault Chief Revenue Officer Marco Terruzzin told Utility Dive that the energy storage company is closely following implementation of President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting the use of foreign-made bulk power components and is assessing its impacts on a project-by-project basis as it diversifies its supply chain. The company said last week it would acquire a 2.3-GW development portfolio from Goshe Energy Storage, including 350 MW of ready-to-build capacity that could come online in early 2028, and secured up to $40 million in credit from S2G Investments to back development, construction and operation of that portfolio.

Trade groups urge USTR to extend pause on China-linked ship fees