Biden Administration Revoked Eight Licences For Huawei In 2024

The US government continues to restrict the ability of American firms to sell or export technology to China-based firms such as Huawei.

Reuters reported that the Biden administration has revoked eight licenses in 2024 that had allowed some companies to ship goods to Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei.

it comes after the Biden Administration in May had revoked certain Intel and Qualcomm’s chip export licences to China, with the name of the Chinese customer not being disclosed.

Export licences

That move came after it was revealed in March that Intel was being allowed to continue selling hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of chips to Huawei, despite it being a heavily sanctioned Chinese company.

Former President Donald Trump’s administration had added Huawei to the US Entity List back in May 2019.

Essentially, US firms have to apply for permission or an export license to sell anything to Huawei, and certain other Chinese firms.

In January 2023 the US Commerce Department reportedly stopped providing export licenses for Huawei, and in October 2023 the Biden Administration tightened export controls on advanced AI semiconductors to China.

Despite this, Huawei shocked the world in September 2023, when a teardown of the new Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone had revealed China’s advances in chip manufacturing, despite US sanctions.

Licences revoked

After the Biden Administration revoked certain export licences in May this year, Reuters reported on a document that it has seen from the US Commerce Department, which oversees US export policy.

“Since the beginning of 2024, (the Commerce Department) has revoked eight additional licenses involving Huawei,” the agency is quoted as saying in the document, prepared in response to an inquiry by Republican Congressman Michael McCaul.

According to the document, license approvals for Huawei include “exercise equipment and office furniture and low-technology components for consumer mass-market items, such as touchpad and touchscreen sensors for tablets,” which are widely available in China from Chinese and foreign sources, the Commerce Department reportedly said.

Huawei and Qualcomm did not respond to requests for comment. Intel declined to comment, Reuters noted.

A spokesperson for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Congressman McCaul, said it had received the data on Tuesday and is reviewing it.