US Bans Smartphone Testing in China

The United States and China are once again heating up their technological rivalry. Through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the US has issued a new policy to hinder the Bamboo Curtain country.

The FCC, the US communications authority, has just approved a measure to ban laboratories in China and Hong Kong from testing devices that will be sold in the US market.

It may sound technical at first glance, but the impact could be quite significant, even raising concerns that smartphone prices will become more expensive.

For context, devices that emit radio frequencies, such as smartphones, tablets, routers, and laptops, must pass FCC certification before they can be sold in the US.

This process requires the devices to be sent to a laboratory for testing to ensure they meet emission standards and network compatibility.

Thus, this regulatory change will force gadget producers or vendors to move the testing process to other countries, such as the US itself, Japan, the UK, or Taiwan.

This is where the problems begin to arise. Testing costs in China have been relatively cheap so far, ranging from $400 to $1,300 (approximately Rp 6.7 million to Rp 21.9 million).

Meanwhile, in the US, the costs could soar to between $3,000 and $4,000 (approximately Rp 50.7 million to Rp 67.6 million).

This difference has the potential to drive up production costs, which could ultimately affect device prices in the market as well.

According to a report from Android Headlines, the FCC’s new step is intended to tighten previous policies. In 2025, the FCC had already first banned testing in laboratories linked to the Chinese government.

Now, the scope has been expanded to all labs in China and Hong Kong. The FCC describes this step as part of efforts to reduce national security risks, while also limiting China’s access to US technology.

Producers now must ship devices from factories in China to other countries just for the certification process, before finally sending them to the US. This process not only adds costs but also time.

Several major companies have even begun to adapt. Apple and SpaceX are reported to have moved some certification processes to other countries like Japan and the UK, as compiled by KompasTekno from GSM Arena.