The United States has taken measures to restrict semiconductor exports to China’s largest telecommunications equipment company, Huawei.
According to Reuters and other sources on the 7th local time, the US Department of Commerce canceled export licenses for some companies exporting semiconductors and other products to Huawei on that day. Some companies reportedly received notifications that their export licenses were immediately canceled.
This measure comes after Huawei announced that their first artificial intelligence (AI) laptop, the MateBook X Pro, would be equipped with Intel’s new processor, the Core Ultra 9, last month. Republican lawmakers in the US have strongly criticized the Department of Commerce for granting Intel a semiconductor export license, leading to this outcome.
The US has listed Huawei on the export control list since 2019 for national security reasons. Companies on the export control list need to obtain stringent export licenses to export components produced in the US. However, previous administrations, including the Trump administration, have granted permits for exporting semiconductors to Huawei, pointing out weaknesses in the sanctions.
Previously, Bloomberg reported that the US government is also considering sanctions against Chinese semiconductor companies cooperating with Huawei to further restrict trade between US companies and Huawei, aiming to impact the semiconductor supply chain for Huawei products.
Despite US sanctions such as export restrictions, Huawei’s performance is improving as the latest smartphone sales have been strong. According to the Wall Street Journal and others, Huawei’s total revenue last year reached 87 billion yuan (approximately 16.15 trillion won), doubling that of 2022.