1. Which countries are the largest net exporters and importers in distributed generation equipment?
China is the largest net exporter of solar PV modules, inverters, and lithium-ion batteries used in distributed systems. The United States, Germany, and Japan run large trade deficits for solar cell and module imports, with U.S. module imports exceeding 52 GW in 2024 because of Section 201 tariff quotas. Southeast Asian manufacturing hubs such as Vietnam gained share after Section 301 tariffs redirected procurement from mainland China.




