pv magazine Webinar on Hoshine Withhold Release Order

In late June, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced its decision to place a Withhold Release Order (WRO) on products containing material from China's largest metallurgical-grade silicon (mg-Si) manufacturer and the main provider of all major polysilicon producers based in the region, Hoshine Silicon Industry Co.  The WRO means any importer who cannot prove to Customs that their solar panels do not contain mg-Si from Hoshine can have their shipment excluded from entry into the US. And due to the tangled and blended nature of solar supply chains, almost no supplier today is equipped to prove this level of provenance.

In a note issued to clients on the same day, Philip Shen of Roth Capital Partners said the move could have a "significant negative impact on the whole U.S. solar industry." Mark D. Herlach, a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm Eversheds Sutherland added in a separate note that possible sanctions could have implications on purchasers of PV modules. These could include direct legal jeopardy, financing challenges, supply chain disruptions, and reputational risk. 

In this upcoming pv magazine Webinar, initiative partner Clean Energy Associates (CEA's) Paul Wormser, Vice President, Technology, and Paul van Brenkelen, Director, ESG and Traceability and Customs and International Trade Attorney Elise Shibles will discuss the ramifications of this decision on the U.S. solar industry and will look at the critical points from the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued by Customs to understand how solar goals and plans could be affected. 

Regarding the broader picture, Wormser, van Brenkelen, and Shibles will also focus on supply chain traceability and how it could help businesses navigate the regulatory uncertainty. The tangible steps one can take to begin securing supply chains and mitigating risk will be further addressed. 

Webinar content

• Background and overview of the global solar supply chain, the importance of mg-Si and polysilicon, and what options solar manufacturers have for sourcing these critical raw materials.

• Background on the history of WRO’s issued by CBP against China and others, and the potential impact this recent WRO may have on the U.S. solar industry

• Background, complications, and importance of traceability for mitigating regulatory and supply chain risk

• Practical steps for solar buyers to take to mitigate and manage risk

• Q&A

Moderator:

Becky Beetz, Head of Content, pv magazine

Speakers:

Elise Shibles, Customs and International Trade Attorney, Sandler, Travis, and Rosenberg, PA

Paul Wormser, Vice President, Technology, CEA

Paul van Brenkelen, Director, ESG & Traceability, CEA