Maxeon Solar Technologies, a Singapore-based maker of solar cells and panels, is still facing difficulties importing its products from Mexico into the United States due to ongoing scrutiny under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Despite providing US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with extensive documentation to demonstrate its compliance, the company's residential and commercial solar panels have been detained since July, causing significant financial and reputational harm, according to the company.
Maxeon has emphasized that its supply chains are fully outside of China's Xinjiang region and are not linked to any entities listed under the UFLPA. However, the delays in shipments have led the company to retract its full-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance.
Maxeon CEO Bill Mulligan, who is set to retire in January 2025, expressed frustration, asserting that the company has made substantial efforts to ensure a transparent and ethical supply chain. Despite submitting tens of thousands of pages of documentation and explanations, the company's shipments remain detained.
“We are strong proponents of the UFLPA and have provided CBP with numerous walk-throughs to explain our standard manufacturing and shipping processes,” Mulligan said. “None of our supply chains involve entities on the UFLPA list, two of our supply chains do not even enter China, and yet the reviewers have declined to make the appropriate determination that UFLPA does not apply.”
Maxeon has filed protests against the detentions and is seeking a review by a new team of CBP officials, expressing optimism that a resolution will be reached soon.
