Nov 7 (Reuters) - Qcells, the U.S. solar manufacturing

arm of Korea's Hanwha, said it would furlough 1,000

workers at its Georgia factories because shipments of components

it needs from overseas are being routinely stalled by U.S.

customs officials.

The announcement comes months after the company said some of

its shipments of solar cells had been detained at U.S. ports

under a 2021 law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region

due to concerns about forced labor.

Qcells has committed to investing $2.5 billion to build a

complete U.S. solar panel supply chain to compete with China.

The company manufactures cells in Malaysia and South Korea that

are imported to be assembled into panels. It is also ramping up

its U.S. cell manufacturing in Cartersville, Georgia.

"Qcells expects to resume full production in the coming

weeks and months. Our commitment to building the entire solar

supply chain in the United States remains," Qcells spokesperson

Marta Stoepker said in a statement. "We will soon be back on

track with the full force of our Georgia team delivering

American-made energy to communities around the country."

The company's detained shipments have been clearing customs,

Stoepker said, but the delays have forced the company to curtail

production.

Qcells has implemented temporary reduced hours and furloughs

for about half of its manufacturing employees at plants in

Cartersville and Dalton, Georgia. It has also cut about 300

staffing agency workers.