Washington tightens approval rules for devices with components from banned entities from October 13

Key Facts

A U.S. rule barring approval of devices containing hardware components with logic functions produced by entities on the Federal Communications Commission's security risk list took effect on October 13, 2026, according to the final rule published in the Federal Register. The approval ban applies provided the device itself would be prohibited if the listed entity produced it in its entirety. The restrictions thus extend to components inside devices, after the ban on new approvals previously targeted equipment manufactured by the listed companies themselves. The rule's scope is determined by the component producer's identity and the nature of its function, rather than simply whether a chip was manufactured in China. The definition covers hardware components that perform logic functions, excluding purely mechanical or passive parts, according to the official text. The commission did not extend the ban at this stage to software or firmware components. It also excluded previously approved devices from the new rule, which states that it "does not affect previously authorized equipment."

The move follows restrictions imposed in 2022, when new approvals were banned for equipment made by listed companies such as Huawei, according to Reuters. Devices containing Huawei components, however, remained eligible for approval, a route the regulatory amendment targeted. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described the move's objective as "fully closing the component loophole." The security rationale concerns risks that can arise within device components and compromise the integrity of the entire device, according to an explanation Chris McGuire, a former U.S. National Security Council official, gave Reuters. McGuire said "compromised components, particularly semiconductors or communications devices, can be used to undermine the integrity of entire devices."

In the next regulatory step, the FCC plans to vote on October 29 on barring all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices intended for use in the United States, according to Reuters. The proposal addresses who conducts the testing, alongside restrictions targeting the origin of components inside devices. The proposed ban covers all Chinese laboratories, making it broader than the exclusion of individual laboratories. Carr said 82% of electronics were tested in China in 2025, a figure highlighting the scale of reliance on those laboratories for the activity targeted by the proposal. The laboratory restrictions are scheduled to take effect in December 2028, according to Reuters, following the commission's upcoming vote.