Security News > 2022 > November > US bans Chinese telecoms imports – won't even consider authorizing them
The United States' Federal Communications Commission has barred itself from authorizing the import or sale of Chinese telecoms and video surveillance products from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision, and Dahua, on national security grounds.
As it is not legal to offer such products in the US without FCC approval, the move is effectively a ban on the five vendors' products.
The proscription on even assessing products therefore takes away an opportunity for products deemed a national security risk to reach the US. The new arrangements mean the FCC will also ban assessing white label products built by the five Chinese vendors named above.
In addition to networking equipment and CCTV products, phones, cameras, Wi-Fi routers and other smart home kit won't be authorized for sale on US soil.
The FCC signaled this is not the end of its efforts to prevent insecure kit reaching US shores and becoming present in local networks.
FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel pointed out that the Order [PDF] ending authorizations of Chinese products also asks whether the regulator should consider revising the processes it uses to assess components made in China - perhaps by asking equipment suppliers to demonstrate that none of the parts they use are on any FCC naughty list.