US revokes licences for Huawei chip sales
May 9, 2024
The US government has revoked some licences that allowed US chip makers to export certain goods to Chinese tech giant Huawei.
The Department of Commerce did not specify which permits were cancelled but US chip giants Intel and Qualcomm said they had been informed that some export licences have been revoked, reports the BBC.
Since 2019, the US has restricted technology exports to Huawei, citing alleged ties to the Chinese military but some companies, including Intel and Qualcomm, were granted certain exemptions.
Beijing has condemned Washington’s moves against its companies with the Chinese foreign ministry saying the US was “over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing export controls to suppress Chinese companies without justification”.
Some US lawmakers had criticised the administration of President Joe Biden following the launch last month of Huawei’s MateBook X Pro laptop.
“Make no mistake, the Biden Administration would not have taken this action if Republicans in Congress were not holding them accountable,” Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said in a post on X.
Huawei has been hit hard by US trade restrictions but more recently appeared to mount a comeback. The Chinese company has seen a resurgence particularly after the launch of the Mate 60 Pro smartphone in August 2023.