Huawei's ban reprieve proves temporary as trade war escalates

Huawei was banned from doing business with US firms earlier in the year due to some nebulous security concerns. The restriction was later lifted to some extent after a meeting with President Xi Jinping in late June.

“U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei,” Trump said at the time. “We’re talking about equipment where there’s no great national security problem with it.”

However, that has since changed. The US has yet to approve any of the 50 or so licenses which have been made by American companies to resume doing business with Huawei. The decision comes in the wake of an escalating trade war with China and the threat of tariffs upon the eastern country.

It’s not clear whether the Huawei ban reprieve has been cancelled completely, or whether it has just been delayed. Either way, Huawei’s decision to launch its HarmonyOS (albeit as a last, last, last resort) seems as timely as ever. That said, it is worth noting that whatever keeps any American firms from doing business with Huawei will also apply to supply apps to HarmonyOS should Trump not approve business licenses as promised.

Source: Bloomberg