With the Chinese anti-dumping case, tariff may be imposed on the polysilicon import from the US, Korea, and the EU. As a consequence, polysilicon makers in China keep raising their selling prices expecting the tariff to be affirmative.

2nd grade polysilicon continues the exponential price increase this week. With the Chinese anti-dumping case, tariff may be imposed on the polysilicon import from the US, Korea, and the EU. As a consequence, polysilicon makers in China keep raising their selling prices expecting the tariff to be affirmative. On the other hand, PV grade polysilicon price only experience moderate increase this week, mainly helped by the 2nd grade polysilicon price boom and the inventory adjustment since 2Q12. Actual PV grade polysilicon spot market transactions are low since solar companies in China fear possible retroactive tariff cost.

Downstream system demand in China and Japan is booming while demand in Europe and the US is improving. With constantly improving downstream demand, module experience moderate price increase this week. As a consequence, cells and wafers also experience some price increase this week. Especially for mono solar components, their price increase is greater because of the booming Japanese system demand. Since big proportion of their demand comes from the residential sector, Japanese companies require higher efficiency solar components in order to maximize electricity output with limited roof space. Consequently, Japanese companies are also more tolerant to higher prices helping the greater mono solar component price increase this week.

PVinsights expects that solar component prices should remain or experience further price increase before the Chinese lunar new years as downstream system demand remains fairly constant.