Huawei, ZTE Sale, Import Banned in US After Being Listed as Threats by FCC

Huawei was put on a trade blacklist that barred US suppliers from doing business with it in 2019.

The import and sale of communications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies and ZTE was prohibited, according to US authorities, who made the announcement on Friday.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has designated both businesses as potential threats, and the new regulations forbid the use of their equipment in the future.

The decision, which comes during a protracted dispute between the two largest economies in the world, is the most recent in a series of steps taken to restrict Chinese telecom companies' access to American networks.

In recent years, Chinese telecom firms and technologies have drawn increased suspicion from US officials.

By ensuring that unreliable communications equipment is not used, the FCC is dedicated to safeguarding our national security authorized for use within our borders," said the commission's chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement.

The new regulations, she continued, are a component of continuous efforts to protect against security threats.

Companies like video security equipment manufacturers Dahua Technology and Hangzhou Hikvision are also impacted by the decree.

The FCC announced on Friday that it was also looking for feedback on potential actions involving current authorizations.

Previously, Washington had discouraged the use of Huawei technology in the private sector and forbade it from delivering systems to the US government out of concern that the company's gear would be hacked by Chinese intelligence.

The Chinese company, which is also a leading smartphone brand, was cut off from Google's Android mobile operating system in 2019 after it placed Huawei on a trade blacklist that prohibited US suppliers from doing business with it.

Additionally, the US has highlighted national security concerns to restrict the operations of China's big three state-owned mobile carriers.