New US sanctions set to squeeze Huawei's chip supply even further

(Image credit: HiSilicon)

The US plans to tighten the screw on Huawei even further with sanctions that limit the company’s access to off-the-shelf components.

Washington considers Huawei to be a risk to national security because of perceived links to the Chinese government.

Huawei has denied any allegations of wrongdoing while the US has yet to provide any evidence to support its claims.

Huawei sanctions

However last year, the Shenzhen-based mobile giant was added to the US ‘non-entity’ list, a status which severely restricts its access to American innovations, including Google applications and services. In May this year, these sanctions were tightened to include processors made for Huawei using US technologies.

Now the US Department of Commerce wants to close what it regards as further loopholes. Reports suggest that Huawei will be prevented from even sourcing generic commercially available products that have been made using US technologies

US firms interested in selling their wares would have to apply for a licence, but the government has not confirmed whether it had received or would approve any applications. Industry associations have warned that its members will lose revenues as a result.

Huawei declined to comment to TechRadar Pro but has unsurprisingly been highly critical of previous sanctions, even going so far as to claim that the measures in May threatened the future of its business. It has also been said that the firm’s HiSilicon chip division has stopped producing Huawei’s custom Kirin processors.

However despite its long-term difficulties, Huawei finally achieved its ambition of becoming the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer earlier this year, overtaking Samsung.

Via Reuters

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
Privacy Hero II VPN Router
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box 7690 router review
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal rugged tablet review
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 rugged tablet review
Latest in News
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #385)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #651)
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold main display opened
Apple is rumored to be prioritizing battery life on the foldable iPhone – which could also feature a liquid metal hinge for added durability
Google Pixel 9
The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in Android code – and may come with a useful speed boost