The US is installing solar power at record pace — and importing most of the equipment to do it. Solar panels, inverters, racking, and battery storage systems now represent $20B+ in annual imports and growing. Track who is importing what using public CBP manifest data.
| Country | US Market Share | Products Exported |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | ~28% | Solar modules, crystalline silicon panels |
| Malaysia | ~22% | Solar modules, thin-film panels |
| Cambodia | ~10% | Solar panels (tariff-shifted production) |
| Thailand | ~9% | Solar inverters, module components |
| China | ~8% | Solar-grade glass, backsheets, tracking systems |
Nextera, First Solar, AES, and hundreds of Independent Power Producers import solar modules for utility-scale projects. Massive volume shipments, time-sensitive to project schedules, and requiring specialized project cargo handling.
SunPower, Sunrun, Tesla Energy, and regional installers import residential and commercial solar panels. Highly seasonal with summer installation peaks. Often use distribution centers near major metro markets.
Tesla Megapack, Fluence, and emerging BESS companies import lithium iron phosphate batteries and energy storage systems primarily from China and South Korea. One of the fastest-growing import sub-categories.
Representative records from US CBP public manifest filings
| Shipper | Product | US Consignee | Port | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JINKO SOLAR VIETNAM CO | MONOCRYSTALLINE SOLAR MODULES | JINKOSOLAR USA | Long Beach | 342,000 KG |
| LONGi SOLAR MALAYSIA | BIFACIAL SOLAR PANELS | US SOLAR DEVELOPER LLC | Savannah | 228,000 KG |
| SUNGROW POWER SUPPLY | SOLAR INVERTER SYSTEMS | SUNGROW USA CORP | Houston | 48,400 KG |
| CATL BATTERY SYSTEMS | GRID STORAGE BATTERY | ENERGY STORAGE INC | Los Angeles | 186,000 KG |
"solar module" or "photovoltaic" imports from Vietnam, Malaysia"solar inverter" or "string inverter" imports to US distributors"battery storage" or "BESS" imports from China, South Korea"solar racking" or "mounting system" imports by volume"thin film" or "CdTe" solar imports from specific manufacturersThe Inflation Reduction Act has supercharged US solar deployment. Utility-scale projects that used to take years to reach installation phase are accelerating. Manifest data shows which developers are actively importing — a direct signal of upcoming project freight.
Utility-scale solar delivers thousands of panels per project, requiring specialized flatbed, step-deck, and oversized freight expertise for the final mile from port to project site. Brokers who can handle this earn significantly more per load.
US anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar have pushed production through Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand. Monitoring where modules are now being shipped from helps you build carrier relationships in the right ports.
You can see the impact directly — Chinese module shipments dropped while Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Cambodian shipments surged. Manifest data reflects these real-time trade flow changes as they happen.
To some extent — utility-scale imports tend to arrive in much larger volumes per consignee, while rooftop installers import smaller, more frequent shipments to distribution centers. Volume and consignee type help distinguish them.
Yes. Battery energy storage systems are increasingly common in manifest data as the BESS market grows. Search for "battery storage," "lithium iron phosphate," or "grid battery" to find importers.
Yes — filter by consignee address or delivery destination to find solar importers serving specific state markets. Texas, California, and Florida are among the top states by solar installation volume.
10M+ manifest records covering solar & energy equipment and every other US import category. Find importers, track volumes, and build your freight prospect list.
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