Countries respond to massive economic pain with accelerating demand for Chinese PV products but will they maintain the pace?
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenKhushboo Razdanin WashingtonPublished: 12:08pm, 30 Apr 2026Chinese solar exports surged in March, doubling to a record high as demand accelerated across dozens of markets, according to a new report. The spike comes as global energy systems react to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US.The Persian Gulf shipping corridor, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows, has become a focal pressure point amid escalating tensions that began on February 28 with US-Israel military strikes on Iran.
The ensuing energy crisis has caused massive economic pain in countries like India and other emerging economies, where soaring fuel costs have stoked inflation and strained national budgets.
Against this backdrop, China exported 68 gigawatts of solar panels, cells and wafers in March – roughly twice February’s level – according to London-based energy think tank Ember, using Chinese customs data.
The scale of the increase is striking. The latest monthly total is equivalent to Spain’s entire installed solar capacity and exceeds the previous record set in August 2025, by nearly 50 per cent.
The surge was broad-based. At least 50 countries recorded all-time highs in their imports of Chinese solar equipment, pointing to rapid expansion across emerging and developed markets.
