This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
On July 1, 2019, US President Donald Trump surprised markets by promising Chinese President Xi Jinping that he would allow US companies to sell products to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker.
However, just days later, a senior US official told the Commerce Department's enforcement staff that Huawei should still be treated as blacklisted, citing regulations that include the Entity List and the 'presumption of denial' licensing policy.
The Entity List bans American firms from selling to Huawei without special permission, as punishment for actions against US national security interests.
Trump's announcement on Saturday was cheered by US chipmakers eager to maintain sales to Huawei, but it also spawned confusion among industry players and government officials.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro noted on Tuesday that the government would allow 'lower tech' chip sales to the company, which don't impact national security.
Huawei has denied allegations that it has stolen American intellectual property and violated Iran sanctions.
