This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
Huawei's Ban: A Tale of Confusion and Uncertainty ¶
US President Donald Trump's recent statement on easing restrictions against Huawei has left many questions unanswered, including which companies will be allowed to sell to the Chinese giant and what constitutes 'widely available products'.
As of July 3rd, 2019, Huawei remains on America's Department of Commerce 'Entity List', a blacklisted company subject to US trade restrictions. The ban was initially set to take effect on August 19th, but a 90-day reprieve was announced to allow companies to transition from Huawei technology.
However, Trump's unclear statements have added to the confusion. While meeting with Chinese leader, he expressed willingness to ease SOME of Huawei's restrictions, allowing SOME US companies to sell to Huawei. But what does this mean in practice?
According to a Reuters report, US government Department of Commerce Staff have been told to treat Huawei as a blacklisted company, despite Trump's statement. This suggests that there is still a lot of confusion on America's policy on Huawei and the Chinese giant's way-forward with US companies.
As the situation unfolds, Huawei has announced new phones, including the Nova 5 series and the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019, which still run the official Google Android OS and are assured of security and software updates. The company's preparedness and backup plans have been a testament to its strength and resilience.
As the world waits for clarity on Huawei's ban, one thing is certain: the need for a solution to America's presumed tech dominance and the impact of trade conflicts on technology licensing.
