America Becomes More Aggressive, China Hit by New Disaster
The United States is once again tightening pressure on China in the technology sector. The US communications regulatory authority plans to ban all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices that will be sold in the American market.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has stated it will hold a vote on 30 April regarding a proposal to prohibit Chinese laboratories from testing devices such as smartphones, cameras, and computers for use in the US.
Last year, the FCC banned testing of US electronics by laboratories owned by the Chinese government. That policy immediately blocked 23 laboratories.
Nevertheless, the FCC assesses that most laboratories based in China continue to test devices targeted for the American market.
The FCC notes that around 75% of global electronic devices are currently tested in Chinese laboratories. Thus, if this rule is fully implemented, its impact could be significant on the global electronics industry supply chain.
Citing Reuters, before the final ban is imposed, the FCC will also first approve an accelerated approval process for devices tested in US laboratories or other countries deemed not to pose a risk to national security.
This step is part of Washington’s latest policy to pressure Beijing in the technology sector. Previously, the FCC also proposed banning imports of devices from several Chinese manufacturers.
In 2021, the FCC added Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua to the list of companies deemed to pose a national security risk to the US.
US authorities now also plan to ban imports of devices from those companies, including products previously approved for sale in America.
Pressure on Chinese technology products continues to mount. In December, the FCC banned imports of all new models of Chinese-made drones. The following month, US regulators again banned imports of Chinese-made consumer routers.
Previously, the FCC had also blocked several Chinese companies from providing telecommunications services in the United States on national security grounds.