This movement is not isolated. In a global market plagued by industrial overcapacity, eroding margins, and the need to place volume outside of China, Europe is once again gaining ground as a stable destination for Asian manufacturers.
The signal comes at a particular moment for the solar chain: while global Chinese exports of modules fell 9% year-on-year between January and February , Europe accounted for nearly 40% of shipments and remained the most stable market.
“These figures must be read carefully, as they reflect imports by country, but within the EU there is then free movement of goods and it is difficult to know how many of these panels will end up being installed this year and where,” warns Alejandro Diego Rosell , a specialist in the solar sector.
This is a significant warning. The Netherlands , with Rotterdam as a major logistics hub, accounts for a substantial portion of Chinese module imports to the continent. However, its volumes remain relatively stable, making it difficult to use country-specific import data as a direct indicator of final demand.
Even so, some markets are beginning to stand out . Italy, Poland, and Greece are registering strong increases in module imports, a development that could foreshadow greater photovoltaic activity in countries that had previously shown a slower rate of installation.
The picture for Spain is different. The market is growing more moderately, with an 8% increase, but remains active despite a more demanding environment for projects: low prices, network restrictions, curtailment, and greater pressure on profitability.
Meanwhile, other mature markets such as Germany and France are also continuing to rise, although without the surges seen in central and southern Europe. The United Kingdom, Denmark, and Belgium are also among the countries with significant increases.
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European behavior contrasts with the global picture at the beginning of the year.
According to data from InfoLink Consulting, between January and February 2026, Chinese exports of solar modules reached 35.06 GW globally , representing a 9% year-on-year decrease. Within this context, Europe received 14.16 GW , an 8% increase, accounting for nearly 40% of the global total and solidifying its position as the most stable market for Chinese manufacturers.
He The contrast is even greater compared to Latin America , which received 2.99 GW in January-February and registered a year-on-year drop of 51%, the worst relative performance among the main regions analyzed . The Middle East, on the other hand, grew by 90%, while Africa advanced by 42%.
The European data should also be interpreted from the Chinese perspective. The industry needs to sell volume abroad due to overcapacity and pressure on margins: Longi Green Energy Technology lost 1.92 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2026, equivalent to about $281 million .
The underlying problem is structural: global module manufacturing capacity exceeds 1,200 GW, while effective demand hovers at much lower levels. This gap fuels price competition and compels manufacturers to maintain volume in foreign markets, even in a context of declining profitability.
In the first quarter, an improvement of between 15% and 20% in module prices was also observed, but the recovery is not enough to fully compensate for cost pressures, commercial competition, and imbalances between supply and demand.
Therefore, the growth in European imports can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, as an early sign of increased solar activity in certain markets. On the other, as part of a strategy by Chinese manufacturers to shift production abroad while the domestic market slows and the industry seeks to rebuild profit margins.
“Overall, I think this could lead to an increase in installations, as it's 3 GW more than in 2025, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions until the third quarter,” Rosell concludes.