MOSES LAKE, WASH. (AP) — A polysilicon factory in Moses Lake, Washington, is in danger of closing because of the nation's on-going trade dispute with China.
REC Silicon says it plans to close down production at its plant on Wednesday, and the remaining 150 employees will be laid off at the end of June.
The Columbia Basin Herald reports that REC is struggling because of China's 57% tariff on U.S.-made polysilicon.
Company president Tore Torvund says if the U.S. and China fail to reach agreement, the plant will be mothballed until prices improve.
China imposed tariffs on U.S. polysilicon, which is used to make solar panels, after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese solar panels. The tariffs basically prevent REC from selling its product in China, which makes most of the world's solar panels.
