Excessive volume of polysilicon stock restricted PV products’ price trend in the first five months of 2015. Fortunately, China may suspend the Processing Trade Manual (the “Manual”) and review polysilicon import policies, so the inventory finally started to decline. Prices of PV products could be raised in July, expected EnergyTrend.

EnergyTrend learnt that China could terminate the Manual in the following months. Moreover, EU-China polysilicon price agreements between and custom duties on US- and South Korea-imported polysilicon may all be rearranged. As a result, PV manufacturers tend to reducing polysilicon imports from these regions/countries. Meanwhile, PV product exports and China’s domestic demand have become stronger in June. Moreover, demand to upstream part of the PV supply chain, polysilicon, has increased along with the stronger demand from the downstream markets. Several Chinese polysilicon makers reported their stocks were lowered in the past week, and some are optimistic toward the domestic market demand. They believe that it is possible to clear stocks and raise the quotations starting from July. In comparison with China, polysilicon manufactured outside China would remain flat due to China’s new strategies to reevaluate the Manual and custom duties.

Transactions of multi-si wafers were warmer than antecedent months. However, the price trend remained flat because trades were conducted among certain manufacturers. First-tier multi-si wafer makers plan to raise the quote in Judy because of the firmer demand, yet second-tier makers are relatively conservative. Nonetheless, it is likely for most of the manufacturers to raise their quotes starting from July.

Stable demand to high efficiency multi-si PV cells drove the increase of spot prices in recent two weeks. First-tier PV cell manufacturers are producing at nearly full capacity, and some seeks for outsourcing. It is expected to meet a supply shortage of high-efficiency multi-si PV cells in near future, so the upward trend would continue. So do Taiwan-made high-efficiency multi-si PV cells. Volumes of orders and product consumption will be crucial to whether the price of high-efficiency multi-si PV cells would soar in July. As the suppliers and buyers are negotiating, the price rose slightly in this week.

Price of PV modules remain almost the same to last week because of the equilibrium of supply and demand. Inventory of PV modules is fair, too.

This Week’s Spot Prices

Price of polysilicon could climb. Spot price of China-made polysilicon slightly rose 0.65% to US$15.6/kg, while price of polysilicon manufactured outside China remained flat at US$15.5/kg. Quote of super high-efficiency multi-si wafers stuck at US$0.85/piece, but spot price of high-efficiency multi-si wafer rose 0.25% to US$0.817/piece.

In terms of PV cells, as mentioned, strong demand to high-efficiency multi-si PV cells sustained the modest raise of spot price, up 0.32% to US$0.309/piece. Both Taiwan- and China-made standard multi-si cells’ spot prices stuck at respectively US$0.291/W and US$0.289/W. Besides, mono-si PV cells’ average spot price was US$0.357/W.

Demand to PV modules helped maintain the prices. 260W multi-si PV modules’ spot price was US$0.535/W while 270-275W mono-si PV modules’ price remained at US$0.61/W.

(Photo Credit: NAIT via Flickr)