News · 2026-08-20

"Export rebate changes: solar and battery costs need recalculating"

Announcements from the Ministry of Finance and the tax authorities tighten export rebates for solar and batteries in steps. For a buyer, this is another shift in landed cost - and a window to revisit long-term contracts.

A timetable

The January 2026 announcements from the Ministry of Finance and the tax authorities set out a step-by-step tightening:

• From 1 April 2026, VAT export rebates are cancelled for 249 solar and related products;
• From 1 April to 31 December 2026, the battery rebate rate falls from 9 percent to 6 percent;
• From 1 January 2027, the battery export rebate is cancelled.

The two tracks differ: solar and related products are cancelled in one step from 1 April 2026, while batteries step down first and are cancelled later, leaving a nine-month transition. Different rhythms mean different points at which costs must be recalculated. What changed here is the VAT export rebate, not tariffs - but for a buyer it lands on the landed price either way.

Why landed cost goes up

A smaller rebate changes the exporter's actual revenue, and that usually passes through to the buyer as price. For the buyer, what shows up most directly is a higher landed cost.


Two things are needed here: break the cost apart to see which part the increase lands on, and separate out who carries that part, so no unclear portion hides inside a single quoted price. See the structure clearly before negotiating price, or you end up mixing a cost change with room to bargain. How well you do this step decides how the price conversation goes.

What long-term contracts need to revisit

For existing long-term contracts, the point is not to argue about price once, but to write the repricing mechanism clearly: what triggers it, how it is calculated, and how often it is reviewed.

If the contract never had a repricing clause, this round is a good time to add one. Negotiating after costs have already moved leaves far less room; agreeing the mechanism before the change is easier for both sides. Writing it down gives both parties a predictable path.

What buyers should do

First, flag the categories involving solar and batteries and recalculate landed cost. Second, review the repricing and liability clauses in existing contracts. Third, bring the new prices and terms into your quotation comparisons so different batches are not measured on different bases. With those three done, price talks rest on solid ground. If suppliers are spread across several production locations, calculate the cost change for each separately.

To work through suppliers and quotes item by item, start with the free verification checklist, or look at a report sample.