Sharply increasing polysilicon imports into China foreshadow a new installation rally in the world's largest photovoltaics (PV) market ahead of the feed-in tariff cut on July 1, 2017. According to Johannes Bernreuter, head of the polysilicon market research firm Bernreuter Research, the upper part of the PV value chain obviously anticipates an installation rush that could be even stronger than what what was seen in China in the first half of 2016.

According to the Chinese customs statistics, polysilicon imports reached a new monthly record high of 14,449 metric tons (MT) in December 2016.

The main profiteers of the high import volumes are the three South Korean manufacturers OCI, Hankook Silicon and Hanwha Chemical. Within four years, the Korean share in total polysilicon imports into China has more than doubled from 24% in 2012 to 50% in 2016. OCI and Hankook have benefited from low import duties of 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively, while US manufacturers have effectively been shut out from the Chinese market by prohibitive duty rates of 53.6% to 57%," explained Bernreuter.

However, the high Korean import volumes have prompted resistance from Chinese manufacturers. They accuse the Korean importers of a dumping margin of almost 34% and have applied for a mid-term review of the duty rates at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. On November 22, 2016, the ministry announced that it had started the review. Chinese producers are now fueling speculation on higher duty rates for Korean imports in order to drive up the spot price, said Bernreuter, who expects that the international spot price will climb toward 17 US$/kg in the first half of 2017 before it drops again.

The current trend resembles the development one year ago. Polysilicon imports into China jumped from a low of 7,504 MT in October 2015 to
10,028 MT in November 2015 - an increase of 33.6% - and further rose to a peak of 13,866 MT in March 2016. The surge between October and November 2016 was even stronger: Polysilicon imports skyrocketed by 56.5% from 8,680 MT to 13,584 MT.

Bernreuter Research believes part of this rapid increase can be explained as a reaction to the low domestic production volumes in September and October 2016, when many Chinese manufacturers shut down their polysilicon plants for maintenance in view of the collapsed spot price. However, domestic production quickly recovered from 12,600 MT in October to a new high of 18,000 MT in December, the firm indicated.

Moreover, the international spot price average has steadily been rising from its historic low of 12.65 US$/kg in early October to more than 16 US$/kg now, says Bernreuter, who noted that these data signal a strong polysilicon demand," says Bernreuter.