US Announces 15% Tariff on Polysilicon to Counter China

The United States is planning new rules about a special material called polysilicon.

Polysilicon is used to make solar panels and computer chips.

The president's team says it wants to protect American factories that make polysilicon.

It worries that China has become too powerful in the solar and chip-making business.

So the US plans to add a 15% extra fee, called a tariff, on foreign polysilicon products.

It also wants to set minimum prices so foreign companies cannot sell these products too cheaply.

The government spent a whole year studying polysilicon because of national security concerns.

The new rules could help American polysilicon makers, but they could raise costs for solar manufacturers that use imported parts.

The rules come at a time when federal support for renewable energy has been rolled back.

The White House and the Commerce Department did not answer questions about the plan.