The US has introduced new trade measures targeting imports of polysilicon, a crucial material used in semiconductors and solar panels, a move that marks a further escalation in the ongoing technology rivalry with China. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Thursday, which imposes a 15% tariff and establishes minimum import prices for polysilicon and related products, with measures scheduled to come into effect in December.

According to the order, the tariffs are intended to revive domestic polysilicon production after decades of foreign competition weakened US manufacturers in a sector considered critical to advanced technologies and national security.
The White House said that the US share of global polysilicon production capacity had fallen from 50% in 2005 to less than 2% in 2024. The country’s share of global semiconductor wafer fabrication capacity declined from 37% in 1990 to 10% in 2024, while the US has become almost “entirely dependent on imports” of solar ingots, wafers, and cells.

Polysilicon, an ultra-pure form of silicon derived from quartz, is the primary raw material used to manufacture semiconductors and solar panels. China accounted for more than 90% of global polysilicon production in 2024, according to industry data.

Beijing condemned the measures, accusing Washington of “overstretching the concept of national security” and “abusing state power.”

“The US move seriously disrupts normal trade and economic exchanges between Chinese and US businesses,” Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Chang told the South China Morning Post, adding that “protectionism will not make the US more competitive.”

The US announcement came a day after China unveiled a new round of retaliatory measures, including tighter export controls on drones and related technologies, sanctions on seven US companies, and its first national security review of foreign trade-related imports. Beijing stated that its actions were a response to recent restrictions imposed by the US, which included sanctions on numerous Chinese companies and a ban on imports of new Chinese drones, humanoid robots, and specific power inverters from last month. The restrictions were announced just ahead of a scheduled meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US next month.

Both countries have increasingly targeted each other’s strategic industries with tariffs, export controls, and investment restrictions as competition between them has intensified. Washington has tightened curbs on advanced AI chips, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, drones, connected vehicles, and other technologies in recent years, while China has responded with export controls on critical minerals and restrictions targeting some US companies.