Maxeon Considering Contesting CBP UFLPA Decision
Singapore-headquartered Maxeon Solar Technologies is considering a challenge to CBP's decision to hold its solar panels for alleged non-compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, it said in an April 4 news release. The company said that it is "considering exercising its right to contest CBP's decision at the U.S. Court of International Trade to demonstrate that Maxeon's legacy supply chains are fully UFLPA-compliant."
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CBP's actions are "without merit," and the methods and procedures CBP has used are "highly unusual," the company said. Allegedly, after referring its claims to CBP's Office of Rulings and Regulations, the office declined to issue a public ruling, stating that "the protests did not meet the criteria for further review," and returned the case to the Electronics Center of Excellence and Expertise, which then denied the protests. Maxeon called this process "inefficient and opaque," and said that the result will "materially impact U.S. commerce and hinder the ability of the U.S. to achieve energy dominance."
Maxeon said that, "given new tariffs and trade barriers applicable to Maxeon's legacy cell and module manufacturing facilities," it is establishing alternate manufacturing locations and supply chains. It said this decision was "not impacted" by the CBP decision.
CBP initially seized 156 containers of Maxeon's products in October 2024 (see 2411140028). At that time, Maxeon claimed that CBP had "cited no evidence" nor argued that the products don't comply with the UFLPA, but had based its decision on "what it claims was insufficient documentation."