The Biden administration has informed some suppliers to China’s Huawei of tighter conditions on previously approved export licenses, prohibiting items for use in or with 5G devices, reported the South China Morning Post.
The 5G ban is effective as of this week, according to SCMP sources. The rules create a more explicit prohibition of the export of components like semiconductors, antennas and batteries for Huawei 5G devices, making the ban more uniform among licensees.
Some companies had previously received licences that allowed them to keep shipping components to Huawei that the Chinese company may have then used in 5G equipment, while other companies were already subject to tighter restrictions.
“From one perspective, it’s clean-up and correcting mistakes from the previous administration,” said William Reinsch, who served as undersecretary of commerce for export administration in the Clinton administration. “There’s bipartisan support for a tough line on technology transfer to China, and this reflects that.”