The US Department of Commerce has revoked the license to sell laptop chips and handheld devices to Huawei Technologies from Intel and Qualcomm, as confirmed by Reuters. The department did not name the specific companies but stated that several export licenses to Huawei had been revoked.
Sources from Reuters revealed that these licenses were granted to Intel and Qualcomm for the sale of laptop chips and handheld devices. This decision comes after Huawei released its first AI-powered laptop, the MateBook X Pro, which is powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra 9 processor. Some Republican lawmakers have criticized this move.
Huawei’s reliance on Intel chips for laptops could be negatively impacted by this decision. Additionally, American suppliers doing business with Huawei are also expected to suffer losses. Huawei was placed on the US trade restrictions list in 2019 for security reasons, requiring suppliers to obtain special licenses to trade with the company.
American companies have received licenses to sell goods and technology to Huawei over the years, but some licenses have faced controversy. For example, the Trump administration approved Intel to supply central processors to Huawei for use in laptops starting in 2020. Qualcomm also has a license to sell older generation 4G chips to Huawei.
Critics argue that these licenses have contributed to Huawei’s resurgence in the market. Despite US export restrictions, Huawei has launched products equipped with chips from Chinese manufacturers. This has led to increased sales for Huawei in various sectors, including smartphones and smart car components.