WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission is poised to block the sale of new telecommunications equipment from the Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in the United States, according to three people with knowledge of the plans.
The agency is expected to vote on rules that would forbid the sale of new electronics produced by companies on a list of firms that pose a security threat to the United States. The F.C.C. named Huawei and ZTE, which make gear for wireless networks, as security threats in 2020.
It is unlikely that the ban would stop the sale of equipment that the F.C.C. has already approved, said one of the people with knowledge of the agency’s plans.
A law signed into law last November by President Biden required the agency to pass the rules within a year.
The measure would be the latest step by the United States to cut off Chinese tech companies from American consumers, contracts and suppliers over concerns they could leak sensitive data to Beijing. The F.C.C. has said federal subsidies cannot be used to buy equipment from the companies. It has also tried to help internet companies remove the gear from their networks, but the agency has said more money is necessary to replace all the equipment that is installed.
Jessica Rosenworcel, the Democratic chairwoman of the F.C.C., said the agency “remains committed to protecting our national security by ensuring that untrustworthy communications equipment is not authorized for use within our borders, and we are continuing that work here.”
Huawei declined to comment. ZTE did not respond to a request for comment. The agency’s plan to vote on the rules was reported earlier by Axios.
The move to cut off Huawei and ZTE from the American market comes as tensions between the United States and China grow.
Last week, the administration announced that it would restrict the sale of certain chip technology to Chinese companies, a move meant to slow the nation’s progress in supercomputing. The White House has also been considering executive orders to target China, including one that could restrict American investors’ ability to put money into Chinese companies and another that would apply more scrutiny to mobile apps with ties to foreign powers.
Officials in Washington have increased the pressure on TikTok, the Chinese-owned viral video app, over concerns that it could expose Americans’ information to the Chinese government. TikTok has been in negotiations with the U.S. government to resolve the concerns, but some officials in the Biden administration believe a draft of an agreement between the two sides is not tough enough on China.
“The F.C.C. has determined that Huawei, ZTE and similar gear pose an unacceptable risk to our national security. That is why I have called for the F.C.C. to stop reviewing and approving that equipment for use in the U.S.,” said Brendan Carr, a Republican F.C.C. commissioner who is critical of China. “I look forward to achieving that result.”
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