TEHRAN, June 27 — China’s grip on the global clean energy trade is tightening, and new customs data shows that even the United States, under a protectionist administration, is buying more Chinese solar and battery components than ever before. According to trade figures from last month, exports of photovoltaic cells from China to the United States surged 346 per cent year on year, reaching US$39.96 million. Lithium-ion battery exports rose 20.8 per cent over the same period.
The numbers land as the Trump administration pursues an “America First” energy policy, yet the data indicates that American buyers are turning to Chinese suppliers in growing numbers. The reason, according to reports, is simple economics.
Beijing now holds near-total control of global supply chains for clean energy technology, including solar panels and the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. No other country can match China’s scale or pricing on these components. This dominance is accelerating as the artificial intelligence boom drives up electricity demand worldwide.
Clean energy projects are being approved at a breakneck pace, and those projects depend on cheap Chinese parts. From the poorest countries in the Global South to the wealthiest nations, Chinese clean energy exports are growing rapidly.
The account suggests that Western efforts to build alternative supply chains have so far failed to slow Beijing’s momentum. While the Trump administration has imposed tariffs and sought to boost domestic manufacturing, the customs data shows that American imports of Chinese clean energy goods are climbing sharply. This is not a new story for those who follow energy geopolitics.
For years, China has invested heavily in solar manufacturing and battery production, building out capacity far beyond domestic needs. What is changing is the scale of the export surge and the sectors driving demand. The artificial intelligence boom, with its insatiable appetite for electricity, is reshaping global energy markets.
Data centres require massive, reliable power supplies, and clean energy projects are being fast-tracked to meet that need. Those projects, in turn, rely on Chinese components that are cheaper and more readily available than alternatives from Western suppliers.
Looking ahead, the question is whether the United States and its allies can develop their own clean energy manufacturing capacity quickly enough to reduce dependence on Beijing. For now, the trade data tells a clear story: China is winning the clean energy trade war, and the rest of the world is buying what it sells.
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