CSMS 5227406·Trade policy·August 15, 2025·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

Initiation of countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India (C-533-943)

Plain-English explanation

CSMS 5227406 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin (trade policy), published on August 15, 2025. It carries the official CBP guidance brokers and importers must follow for the topic — "Initiation of countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India (C-533-943)". It links to 1 AD/CVD case in Tandom's catalog. CSMS messages are the operational layer between Commerce determinations and at-the-border collections: when Commerce publishes a new rate, scope ruling, or instruction, CBP turns it into a CSMS that ACE/ACS systems and brokers act on.

Linked AD/CVD cases(1)

Cases referenced or affected by this CSMS message

C-533-943

Message body

Full text as published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

1. On 08/12/2025, Commerce published in the Federal Register its initiation of the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India (90 FR 38745). The effective date of this initiation is 08/06/2025 (the applicable date stated in the FR notice). 2. The merchandise covered by this investigation is crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, and modules, laminates, and panels, consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products, including, but not limited to, modules, laminates, panels and building integrated materials. This investigation cover crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells of thickness equal to or greater than 20 micrometers, having a p/n junction formed by any means, whether or not the cell has undergone other processing, including, but not limited to, cleaning, etching, coating, and/or addition of materials (including, but not limited to, metallization and conductor patterns) to collect and forward the electricity that is generated by the cell. Merchandise under consideration may be described at the time of importation as parts for final finished products that are assembled after importation, including, but not limited to, modules, laminates, panels, building-integrated modules, building integrated panels, or other finished goods kits. Such parts that otherwise meet the definition of merchandise under consideration are included in the scope of the investigations. Excluded from the scope of this investigation is thin film photovoltaic products produced from amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). Also excluded from the scope of the investigation is crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, not exceeding 10,000 mm2 in surface area, that are permanently integrated into a consumer good whose function is other than power generation and that consumes the electricity generated by the integrated crystalline silicon photovoltaic cell. Where more than one cell is permanently integrated into a consumer good, the surface area for purposes of this exclusion shall be the total combined surface area of all cells that are integrated into the consumer good. Additionally, excluded from the scope of this investigation are panels with surface area from 3,450 mm2 to 33,782 mm2 with one black wire and one red wire (each of type 22 AWG or 24 AWG not more than 206 mm in length when measured from panel extrusion), and not exceeding 2.9 volts, 1.1 amps, and 3.19 watts. For the purposes of this exclusion, no panel shall contain an internal battery or external computer peripheral ports. Also excluded from the scope of this investigation is: (1) Off grid CSPV panels in rigid form with a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 100 watts or less per panel; (B) a maximum surface area of 8,000 cm2 per panel; (C) do not include a built-in inverter; (D) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in either an 8 mm male barrel connector, or a two-port rectangular connector with two pins in square housings of different colors; (E) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell; and (F) must be in individual retail packaging (for purposes of this provision, retail packaging typically includes graphics, the product name, its description and/or features, and foam for transport); and (2) Off grid CSPV panels without a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 100 watts or less per panel; (B) a maximum surface area of 8,000 cm2 per panel; (C) do not include a built-in inverter; (D) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell; and (E) each panel is (1) permanently integrated into a consumer good; (2) encased in a laminated material without stitching, or (3) has all of the following characteristics: (i) the panel is encased in sewn fabric with visible stitching, (ii) includes a mesh zippered storage pocket, and (iii) includes a permanently attached wire that terminates in a female USB-A connector. In addition, the following CSPV panels are excluded from the scope of the investigations: off-grid CSPV panels in rigid form with a glass cover, with each of the following physical characteristics, whether or not assembled into a fully completed off-grid hydropanel whose function is conversion of water vapor into liquid water: (A) a total power output of no more than 80 watts per panel; (B) a surface area of less than 5,000 square centimeters (cm2 ) per panel; (C) do not include a built-in inverter; (D) do not have a frame around the edges of the panel; (E) include a clear glass back panel; and (F) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in a twoport rectangular connector. Additionally excluded from the scope of this investigation are off-grid small portable crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, with or without a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (1) a total power output of 200 watts or less per panel; (2) a maximum surface area of 16,000 cm2 per panel; (3) no built-in inverter; (4) an integrated handle or a handle attached to the package for ease of carry; (5) one or more integrated kickstands for easy installation or angle adjustment; and (6) a wire of not less than 3 meters either permanently connected or attached to the package that terminates in an 8 mm diameter male barrel connector. Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are off-grid crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels in rigid form with a glass cover, with each of the following physical characteristics, whether or not assembled into a fully completed off-grid hydropanel whose function is conversion of water vapor into liquid water: (A) a total power output of no more than 180 watts per panel at 155 degrees Celsius; (B) a surface area of less than 16,000 square centimeters (cm2 ) per panel; (C) include a keep-out area of approximately 1,200 cm2 around the edges of the panel that does not contain solar cells; (D) do not include a built-in inverter; (E) do not have a frame around the edges of the panel; (F) include a clear glass back panel; (G) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in a two-port rounded rectangular, sealed connector; (H) include a thermistor installed into the permanently connected wire before the twoport connector; and (I) include exposed positive and negative terminals at opposite ends of the panel, not enclosed in a junction box. Further excluded from the scope of this investigation are: (1) Off grid rigid CSPV panels with a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 200 watts or less per panel, (B) a maximum surface area of 10,500 cm2 per panel, (C) do not include a built-in inverter, (D) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in waterproof connector with a cylindrical positive electrode and a rectangular negative electrode with the positive and negative electrodes having an interlocking structure, (E) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell, and (F) must be in individual retail packaging (for purposes of this provision, retail packaging typically includes graphics, the product name, its description and/or features); and (2) Off-grid small portable crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, with or without a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 200 watts or less per panel, (B) a maximum surface area of 16,000 cm2 per panel, (C) no built-in inverter, (D) an integrated handle or a handle attached to the package for ease of carry, (E) one or more integrated kickstands for easy installation or angle adjustment, and (F) a wire either permanently connected or attached to the package terminates in waterproof connector with a cylindrical positive electrode and a rectangular negative electrode with the positive and negative electrodes having an interlocking structure. Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are: (1) Off grid rigid CSPV panels with a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 200 watts or less per panel, (B) a maximum surface area of 10,500 cm2 per panel, (C) do not include a built-in inverter, (D) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in waterproof connector with a cylindrical positive electrode and a rectangular negative electrode with the positive and negative electrodes having an interlocking structure, (E) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell, and (F) must be in individual retail packaging (for purposes of this provision, retail packaging typically includes graphics, the product name, its description and/or features); and (2) Small off-grid panels with glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) surface area from 3,450 mm2 to 33,782 mm2, (B) with one black wire and one red wire (each of type 22AWG or 28 AWG not more than 350 mm in length when measured from panel extrusion), (C) not exceeding 10 volts, (D) not exceeding 1.1 amps, (E) not exceeding 6 watts, and (F) for the purposes of this exclusion, no panel shall contain an internal battery or external computer peripheral ports. Additionally excluded from the scope of this investigation are: (1) Off grid rigid CSPV panels with a glass cover, with the following characteristics: (A) a total power output of 175 watts or less per panel, (B) a maximum surface area of 9,000 cm2 per panel, (C) do not include a built-in inverter, (D) must include a permanently connected wire that terminates in waterproof connector with a cylindrical positive electrode and a rectangular negative electrode with the positive and negative electrodes having an interlocking structure; (E) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell, and (F) must be in individual retail packaging (for purposes of this provision, retail packaging typically includes graphics, the product name, its description and/or features); and (2) Off grid CSPV panels without a glass cover, with the following characteristics, (A) a total power output of 220 watts or less per panel, (B) a maximum surface area of 16,000 cm2 per panel, (C) do not include a built-in inverter, (D) must include visible parallel grid collector metallic wire lines every 1-4 millimeters across each solar cell, and (E) each panel is encased in a laminated material without stitching. Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are off-grid CSPV panels in rigid form, with or without a glass cover, permanently attached to an aluminum extrusion that is an integral component of an automation device that controls natural light, whether or not assembled into a fully completed automation device that controls natural light, with the following characteristics: (1) a total power output of 20 watts or less per panel; (2) a maximum surface area of 1,000 cm2 per panel; (3) does not include a built-in inverter for powering third party devices. Modules, laminates, and panels produced in a third-country from cells produced in a subject country are covered by the investigations; however, modules, laminates, and panels produced in a subject country from cells produced in a third-country are not covered by the investigation. Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are all products covered by the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules, from the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, and Antidumping Order, 77 FR 73018 (December 7, 2012); and Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules, from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 77 FR 73017 (December 7, 2012). Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are all products covered by the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended Final Antidumping Duty Determination; Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Antidumping duty Orders, 90 FR 26786 (June 24, 2025); Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended Final Antidumping Duty Determination; Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Antidumping Duty Orders; Correction, 90 FR 29843 (July 7, 2025); and Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules, from Malaysia and Thailand: Amended Final Countervailing Duty Determinations; Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules, from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Countervailing Duty Orders, 90 FR 26791 (June 24, 2025). Merchandise covered by the investigation is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff System of the United States (HTSUS) under subheadings 8541.42.0010 and 8541.43.0010. Imports of the subject merchandise may enter under HTSUS subheadings 8501.71.0000, 8501.72.1000, 8501.72.2000, 8501.72.3000, 8501.72.9000, 8501.80.1000, 8501.80.2000, 8501.80.3000, 8501.80.9000, 8507.20.8010, 8507.20.8031, 8507.20.8041, 8507.20.8061, and 8507.20.8091. These HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes; the written description of the scope of the investigations is dispositive. 3. This proceeding has been assigned case number C-533-943. 4. If there are any questions by the importing public regarding this message, please contact the Call Center for the Office of AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce at (202) 482-0984. CBP ports should submit their inquiries through authorized CBP channels only. (This message was generated by OVI:AH.) 5. There are no restrictions on the release of this information. Alexander Amdur

Frequently asked questions

What is CSMS 5227406?

CSMS 5227406 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin titled "Initiation of countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India (C-533-943)". CSMS bulletins are the operational instructions CBP issues to brokers, importers, and ACE filers covering rate changes, system updates, scope guidance, and other day-to-day customs-operations changes.

When was CSMS 5227406 published?

CBP published CSMS 5227406 on August 15, 2025. The bulletin's instructions are typically operative as of the publication date unless the body specifies a different effective date.

Which AD/CVD cases does CSMS 5227406 affect?

CSMS 5227406 references 1 AD/CVD case (C-533-943). The links on this page take you to each linked order with its current scope, rates, and history.

Is the CBP CSMS the legally binding instruction?

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