U.S. FCC Votes to Ban Chinese Electronics Testing Starting in December 2028

Key Facts

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted on October 29 to bar laboratories and certification bodies in China and other countries from testing electronic devices intended for use in the United States, with the ban set to begin in December 2028. The commission linked the measure to the lack of reciprocal treatment for U.S. laboratories and to the security of the device certification process. The effective date gives companies more than two years to transition before the restrictions take effect. The commission said the ban would cover countries that do not grant reciprocal treatment to U.S. laboratories, not China alone. The decision comes as the U.S. electronics industry relies heavily on Chinese testing facilities, putting companies’ ability to move testing or absorb its cost at the center of the measure’s potential impact.

Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said 82% of electronics were tested in China during 2025, noting that the two countries have no reciprocal-treatment agreement in this area. In remarks before the vote, Carr said fewer than 4% of electronic devices are tested at laboratories in the United States. The disparity highlights the extent of reliance on testing facilities outside the U.S. market and means shifting to domestic or other-country alternatives could require companies to reorganize their operations. The commission had previously targeted laboratories owned or controlled by the Chinese government, but those actions did not cover most Chinese laboratories testing U.S. devices. Reuters reported that a large number continued operating in the field despite the earlier restrictions.

Two U.S. industry associations warned of possible testing-service shortages and a buildup of certification applications, citing China’s dominance in the sector. Industry leaders said the restrictions could slow global electronics supply and raise manufacturing costs for U.S. companies that rely on Chinese testing facilities. Device certification takes place before products are brought to market, so limited alternative capacity could affect companies’ schedules and costs if testing cannot be moved smoothly. These concerns relate to the availability of testing and certification services after the ban takes effect, not an immediate halt to existing operations. The effective-date window gives companies time to reconsider testing arrangements before December 2028.

The vote expands a course of action the commission began in 2025 against specific Chinese laboratories. In September of that year, the commission said it had begun proceedings to revoke recognition from 7 laboratories owned or controlled by the Chinese government. By April 30, 2026, the commission said it had taken steps to revoke recognition from or deny recognition to 23 laboratories, describing them as a threat to U.S. national security. Reuters reported, however, that a large majority of Chinese laboratories continued testing U.S. devices after the 2025 actions. The new rule broadens the restrictions to cover laboratories and certification bodies in countries that do not grant equivalent treatment to U.S. laboratories.

The decision comes ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-November, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The Associated Press said artificial intelligence is expected to be on the meeting’s agenda. In separate economic news, the U.S. advance goods trade deficit reached $134.9 billion in September 2026, up 2.1% from $132.1 billion in August. The deficit figure is not a measure of the commission’s decision’s impact, but places the vote in the broader context of U.S. trade. China’s National Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release its monthly purchasing managers’ index on October 31 at 9:30 a.m. local time.

China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index stood at 50.1% in September, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month and entering expansion territory. The next monthly release comes days after the commission’s vote, but more than two years before the ban is scheduled to begin in December 2028. The PMI release therefore remains a near-term marker for tracking Chinese manufacturing activity, while the rule’s effects on testing and company costs are tied to its later implementation date. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in mid-November in Shenzhen, where artificial intelligence is expected to be among the topics discussed. That places the two countries’ upcoming summit on the calendar of trade and technology developments surrounding the decision.