U.S. exports of solar products climbed 83 percent last year to $5.63 billion as increasing production in China drove up sales of manufacturing equipment and raw materials, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Polysilicon producers including MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR) and Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. exported $2.52 billion of the basic material used to make solar cells and exports of capital equipment were $1.4 billion, according to a report released today by the Washington-based trade group and GTM Research. Those were the two largest export categories.

The solar industry expanded its manufacturing capacity significantly in 2010, especially in China and other countries with low production costs, and those companies all require polysilicon and capital equipment, said Shayle Kann, managing director for solar at GTM Research.

“Manufacturing of PV is growing by leaps and bounds” in Asia, he said. “They are buying a lot of polysilicon and a lot of manufacturing equipment.”