Anticipation of the Chinese anti-dumping case against polysilicon import from US, Korea, and EU has stirred up 2nd grade polysilicon prices in China.

Anticipation of the Chinese anti-dumping case against polysilicon import from US, Korea, and EU has stirred up 2nd grade polysilicon prices in China. Since possible added tariff cost on import polysilicon will raise the overall polysilicon price level, Chinese polysilicon companies raise their prices in advance and cause tremendous 2nd grade polysilicon price increase this week. On the other hand, spot PV grade polysilicon prices only moderately increase this week due to concern of Chinese government possible retroactive tariff imposition and the slowly recovering downstream demand.

Modules, cells, and wafer companies benefit from recovering system demand. Downstream system demand in China and Japan remains promising, while system demand in Europe and the US is recovering as people return to work from the Christmas and New Years holiday. With the slowly growing downstream demand, all solar component prices moderately increase this week. In addition, solar companies have increasing factory utilizations in preparation for upcoming system project installations. For some Chinese solar companies, their utilizations are higher in Jan in order to prepare inventory before the Chinese New Year in Feb. when many factories will be shut down. On the other hand, with spot price increase and solar company intentions to raise selling prices still in the air, order booking volume also increases that reinforce the overall demand and component prices.

Although solar component prices experience some price rebound this week; however, price improvement is expected to be short term. Market oversupply still exist pressuring solar component prices. Once full production capacity is brought back, the market will return to oversupply and further pressures component prices.