Solar systems and their primary products from China are dividing the photovoltaics industry in Europe. China dominates the global solar market with around 80 percent market share of the entire supply chain.
According to reliable reports, China is running forced labor programs in the solar stronghold of Xinjiang. Despite this, European solar companies continue to buy products from Xinjiang, but consciously avoid goods from the region. The EU Commission recently initiated subsidy investigations for the first time against two Chinese companies that are bidding on a solar project in Romania. The most goods from there were lithium-ion batteries, batteries, tomato paste and various goods of low value - but not products from the solar supply chain, according to Chinese customs data. Both companies must reliably document that there are no violations in their value chains, but no laws yet focus on the Xinjiang region or force companies to rethink their supply chains. The German law is already in force, forcing companies to keep their supply chain free of human rights violations such as forced labor and environmental damage.