By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it will ban the import of more equipment from a group of Chinese manufacturers, the latest move by Washington to crack down on Chinese-made electronic gear.
The move expands an FCC ban imposed in 2022 on new models of telecommunications and video surveillance equipment made by Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, citing U.S. national security risks.
The ban now includes old models, not just those designed starting in late 2022, of equipment used for “public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes,” the FCC said.
The expanded ban is set to take effect in early July. The FCC said the action “is necessary to protect national security by mitigating risks to the U.S. communications sector.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington and the companies did not immediately respond to inquiries.
The FCC said it would allow Americans to continue to use equipment they already own.
The FCC has taken a number of actions targeting Chinese tech, including banning imports of all new models of Chinese drones in December. In March it banned the import of new models of Chinese-made consumer routers, the boxes that connect computers, phones and smart devices to the internet.
The new order does not ban imports of prior models of drones and routers.
In October, the FCC voted 3-0 to block new approvals for devices with parts from companies on its list and let the agency bar previously approved equipment in some instances.
Hikvision sued in December challenging that decision, saying the agency exceeded its authority and lacked basis for the move.
The FCC is also considering prohibiting U.S. telecommunications carriers from interconnecting with Chinese telecom firms, which would effectively ban Chinese telecoms from operating U.S. data centers.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
