Since December, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized $21.3 million worth of solar equipment from Ethiopia under a law banning products made by forced labor. Most of these shipments have been denied entry into the country.
– Ethiopia has become an increasingly important supplier of solar energy to the American market. Solar imports from this African country were nonexistent before mid-2025 and reached $300 million by the end of the year.
– Polysilicon, a key material in the solar industry, is considered a high-priority sector in the law preventing forced labor in Xinjiang, China, where Chinese authorities are said to have established work camps for Uighurs and other Muslim groups. China denies any abuse.
– The CBP has rejected $16.3 million, or 76%, of the $21.3 million worth of solar shipments from Ethiopia withheld under the law between December and February, according to an online dashboard from the CBP.
– For comparison, about 4% of solar shipments from all other countries were refused during the same period.
– A CBP spokesperson stated that the agency does not comment on specific investigations to protect sensitive and confidential business information.
– Companies like the Japanese company Toyo have set up solar plants in Ethiopia over the past year. Toyo stated that it only uses non-Chinese polysilicon in its solar cells, and none of its direct shipments have been held or rejected by the CBP to date.
