Washington has announced that it will drastically increase tariffs on imports of Chinese raw materials for the solar and semiconductor industries. Specifically, this involves increasing tariffs on solar wafers and polysilicon to 50 percent, as reported by the Financial Times on Wednesday. Tungsten products, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors among other things, are to be subject to a 25 percent levy. According to the report, the measures are to come into force from Jan. 1 and are an attempt to protect the fast-growing solar energy sector in the USA from Chinese suppliers. The plans were first presented to US companies for comment in the spring of this year. emk