German chemicals maker Wacker Chemie is considering closing its polysilicon plant in Charleston, Tennessee, Reuters reports, after new U.S. trade measures drive away its last two customers for the material. The company employs about 600 people at the site, and Wacker is expected to decide on the plant’s future in the coming weeks.
The development is tied to U.S. policies meant to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain by protecting domestic polysilicon production. The Korea Times reports that a White House proclamation intended to encourage purchases of U.S.-made polysilicon follows the tariff changes, but that the measures have not preserved demand. While Reuters cites customer loss as the immediate cause, Korea Times characterizes the situation as a potential backfire of the protection effort. Reuters did not name the customers, and Korea Times says the specific company identities were not publicly disclosed.
Wacker is not publicly confirming the customer losses or whether the plant will close. In a statement, it says it is too soon to assess the policy’s full impact and notes that the proclamation, as written, does not effectively support using U.S.-made polysilicon.
