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In a new update for pv magazine , OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers a quick look at key pricing trends in the global photovoltaic industry. Mono PERC wafer FOB China prices remained stable this week, with M10 and G12 wafers holding steady at $0.147/unit (per piece) and $0.210/unit, respectively. In contrast, N-type wafer FOB China prices experienced a decline. N-type M10 wafers fell to $0.157/unit, while G12 wafers fell to $0.199/unit, reflecting weekly declines of 0.63% and 1.49%, respectively. The recent surge in demand for end-user installations in China, driven by two solar energy policies scheduled to take effect in May and June, appears to be coming to an end. This decline in demand has led to a more relaxed supply environment in the wafer market and contributed to this weeks price decline. Meanwhile, Chinas April wafer production, initially projected at around 57 GW due to the anticipated disruption caused by the Myanmar earthquake, has been revised upward to around 61 GW based on wafer manufacturers updated production schedules. Industry sources indicate that the sectors spare production capacity has effectively absorbed the impact of the disruption. These developments have reinforced the prevailing pessimism about the outlook for the Chinese wafer market. In the global market, US President Donald Trump has announced the suspension of all reciprocal tariffs for three months, except for those applied to China. As a result, countries such as Laos and Indonesia, key recipients of wafers from Southeast Asia, will face only a base tariff of 10% on cells and modules exported to the US during this window. Although manufacturers have not issued any official confirmation, industry insiders widely speculate that wafer production rates in Southeast Asia may increase in the short term. The goal is to accelerate shipments to regions outside the four countries targeted by the AD/CVD investigation, where wafers can continue to be processed into cells and modules and shipped to the United States before the end of the three-month tariff extension. In the long term, evolving international trade policies are expected to change the landscape of Chinese and Southeast Asian silicon wafer exports. Beyond meeting domestic market demand, the U.S. market will remain a critical destination for solar cell exports, as domestic cell production in the U.S. remains insufficient to meet the needs of its module manufacturing sector. Consequently, the United States is likely to remain reliant on imported cells, primarily from countries subject to relatively lower overall tariffs. Regions such as South Korea, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Oman—where solar cell production is already established or in the development stage—are expected to emerge as key destinations for wafer exports. Market sources emphasize that these regions offer favorable tariff environments and are likely to play an increasingly important role in global wafer trade flows. |
