US Finalizes Steep Solar Duties on Indian Imports, Rates Top 249 Percent

September 12, 2026: The U.S. Department of Commerce has finalized steep anti-dumping and countervailing duty rates on imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos, escalating a trade case that has been running since August 2025.

For Indian producers, Commerce set a final anti-dumping margin of 123.04% and a countervailing duty rate of 126.09%, according to Reuters.

Taken together, the two headline rates total 249.13%, although anti-dumping and countervailing duties are separate trade remedies and final cash-deposit requirements can be affected by applicable adjustments.

The U.S. International Trade Commission must still make its final injury determination before permanent duty orders can be issued. The Commission is scheduled to vote on October 14, 2026.

US Commerce Sets 123.04% Anti-Dumping Margin for India

The final U.S. Commerce Department anti-dumping rates announced on September 11 were:

Exporting Country	Final Anti-Dumping Margin
India	123.04%
Indonesia	94.36%
Laos	65.43%

Commerce concluded that producers from the three countries had sold solar cells and modules into the U.S. market at less than fair value.

India's final 123.04% anti-dumping margin is unchanged from the preliminary rate Commerce announced on April 23, 2026.

At the preliminary stage, Mundra Solar PV, Mundra Solar Energy, Kowa Company, Premier Energies Photovoltaic and other Indian exporters had been assigned a 123.04% estimated weighted-average dumping margin.

Countervailing Duty Rate for India Finalized at 126.09%

Commerce also finalized countervailing duties intended to offset subsidies that the agency determined benefited solar manufacturers in the exporting countries.

The final countervailing duty rates reported by Reuters were:

Exporting Country	Final Countervailing Duty Rate
India	126.09%
Indonesia	73.2%–173.7%
Laos	82.03%–153.67%

India's final rate of 126.09% is slightly above the 125.87% preliminary subsidy rate announced by Commerce in February 2026.

Commerce had initially assigned the 125.87% preliminary rate to Mundra Solar Energy, Mundra Solar PV and all other Indian producers covered by the preliminary determination.

ITC Vote Scheduled for October 14

The duties have not yet completed the full U.S. trade-remedy process.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is conducting the final injury phase of the investigations.

Its vote is scheduled for October 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time, according to the Commission's official calendar.

The investigation remains listed as pending by the USITC under investigation numbers 701-TA-772-774 and 731-TA-1756-1758.

If the Commission determines that the imports materially injured, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. solar manufacturing industry, Commerce is expected to issue final anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders in November.

If the ITC reaches a negative injury determination, permanent duty orders would not be imposed.

US Solar Manufacturers Filed the Trade Case

The investigation was initiated following petitions from the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade.

The group includes:

• First Solar
• Hanwha Qcells
• Mission Solar Energy

The coalition argued that solar imports from India, Indonesia and Laos were entering the U.S. market at unfair prices and benefiting from subsidies that harmed domestic manufacturers.

The U.S. Commerce Department formally initiated the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations in August 2025.

The USITC subsequently voted in August 2025 that there was a reasonable indication that the domestic industry was materially injured by allegedly dumped and subsidized imports, allowing the Commerce investigations to continue.

US Imported 2.3 GW of Solar Products From India in 2024

Commerce data published during the investigation shows how rapidly Indian solar shipments into the United States had increased before the trade case.

Year	US Solar Imports From India	Import Value
2022	232.4 MW	$83.9 million
2023	2.05 GW	$760.8 million
2024	2.30 GW	$792.6 million

The data covers crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules under the relevant U.S. tariff classifications.

Import volume from India therefore increased almost tenfold between 2022 and 2024.

US Accounted for 96.8% of Indian Module Exports in 2025

The United States had also become the dominant overseas market for India's growing solar-module manufacturing industry.

Indian manufacturers exported around 5 GW of solar modules in 2025, according to Mercom India Research.

The U.S. accounted for 96.8% of those module exports.

Indian manufacturers also exported approximately 192 MW of solar cells in 2025, although the UAE was the largest destination for cell exports.

India's cumulative solar-module manufacturing capacity had reached about 210 GW by the end of 2025, according to the same report, after manufacturers added approximately 119 GW of module capacity during the year.

Solar Exports Had Already Fallen in 2026

Indian solar exports had begun declining before Commerce issued its final September determination.

Mercom reported in August that Indian solar exports plunged 88% year over year in the second quarter of 2026.

Modules accounted for 90.8% of solar exports during the quarter.

The decline followed months of uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade measures and the preliminary anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations.

The U.S. had been the primary destination for Indian solar modules during the preceding export expansion.

Indian Solar Stocks Fell After Preliminary Duties in February

Indian listed solar manufacturers had already reacted sharply when the U.S. announced preliminary countervailing duties in February.

Waaree Energies and Premier Energies fell around 15% during that session, while Vikram Solar dropped roughly 8% before recovering part of the decline, according to Reuters.

At that stage, analysts cited by Reuters said approximately 65% of Waaree's order book was linked to the U.S., while Vikram Solar had around 16% export exposure. Premier Energies said its order book was domestic.

The final Commerce determination announced on September 11 came after Indian equity markets had closed for the week.

Waaree Energies had finished Friday's session at ₹2,625, up 3.02% for the day, before the final U.S. duty announcement was reflected in Indian trading.

India’s Solar Module Exports Had Grown Rapidly Before the Investigation

Indian photovoltaic manufacturers had expanded exports sharply over the previous several years.

JMK Research and IEEFA reported that India's PV module exports reached approximately $2 billion in FY2024, an increase of more than 23 times in two years.

The United States accounted for 97% of Indian PV exports in FY2023 and 99% in FY2024, according to the report.

That export expansion followed increased manufacturing capacity and U.S. trade restrictions on Chinese and Southeast Asian solar products.

Several Indian manufacturers had also begun planning U.S.-based manufacturing facilities and non-Chinese supply chains.

The US Has Expanded Solar Trade Cases Across Asia

The India, Indonesia and Laos case is part of a longer series of U.S. trade actions involving photovoltaic imports.

The United States first imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Chinese solar products in 2012.

Manufacturing subsequently expanded into other Asian markets.

In April 2025, the U.S. Commerce Department finalized separate anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations covering solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The new India, Indonesia and Laos investigation extends U.S. trade scrutiny to another group of major Asian solar suppliers.

Reuters described the September decision as the latest stage in the long-running dispute over solar imports and manufacturing relocation.

India Rates Compared With Indonesia and Laos

Commerce's September determinations produced different rates for each country.

Country	Anti-Dumping Margin	Countervailing Duty Rate
India	123.04%	126.09%
Indonesia	94.36%	73.2%–173.7%
Laos	65.43%	82.03%–153.67%

For India, the two headline rates add to 249.13%.

However, the final amount collected on a shipment is governed by U.S. customs and trade-remedy rules, including any applicable subsidy offsets and company-specific instructions. The 249.13% figure should therefore be read as the sum of the announced AD margin and CVD rate, rather than as a single standalone tariff published by Commerce.

Investigation Timeline

Date	Development
August 2025	Commerce initiates AD/CVD investigations
August 29, 2025	USITC votes to continue investigations
February 24, 2026	Preliminary countervailing duties announced
April 23, 2026	Preliminary anti-dumping margins announced
September 9, 2026	USITC holds final-phase hearing
September 11, 2026	Commerce announces final AD/CVD determinations
October 14, 2026	USITC final injury vote scheduled
November 2026	Final duty orders expected if USITC votes affirmative

The USITC held its final-phase hearing on September 9, two days before Commerce's final determination.

Products Covered by the Investigation

The investigations cover crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules.

This includes solar cells imported separately as well as cells incorporated into finished solar panels that fall within the scope of the Commerce proceedings.

The India cases are identified by Commerce as:

Anti-dumping: A-533-942 Countervailing duty: C-533-943

October 14 Becomes the Next Date in the Case

The next formal step is now the U.S. International Trade Commission's final injury vote on October 14.

The Commission will determine whether the U.S. solar manufacturing industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by the imports covered by Commerce's affirmative dumping and subsidy findings.

Commerce has completed its pricing and subsidy determinations.

The injury proceeding remains pending.

An affirmative ITC vote would clear the way for final duty orders expected in November.

Conclusion

The U.S. Commerce Department's September 11 determination sets a 123.04% anti-dumping margin and 126.09% countervailing duty rate for Indian solar cells and modules.

The combined headline rates equal 249.13%.

The final Commerce decision comes after the United States became the destination for 96.8% of India's solar-module exports in 2025 and after Indian solar exports had already fallen sharply during 2026.

The trade case is not yet complete.

The U.S. International Trade Commission will vote on October 14, 2026, with final duty orders expected in November if the Commission reaches an affirmative injury determination.

Vantage Radar will track the ITC decision and any subsequent duty orders affecting solar cells and modules covered by the investigation.

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Sources

U.S. Department of Commerce: Preliminary anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations and official case information.

U.S. International Trade Commission: Final investigation status, September hearing and October 14 vote schedule.

Mercom India Research: Indian solar manufacturing and export data for 2025 and Q2 2026.

JMK Research / IEEFA: Historical growth and destination mix of Indian PV exports.