FCC expands Huawei, ZTE import ban to legacy Chinese tech gear
Synopsis
The US FCC has expanded its Chinese tech import ban to cover legacy Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, and Dahua equipment — closing a loophole that had left older gear outside the 2022 restrictions. Hikvision called the move 'politically motivated' and lacking 'statutory authority.'
Key Takeaways
The FCC finalised rules late last week expanding its import ban to older equipment models from Huawei Technologies , ZTE , Hytera , Hikvision , and Dahua .
The new restrictions take effect next month and cover the import and marketing of legacy gear not included in the original 2022 ban.
American businesses already using the affected equipment will not be immediately required to remove it.
Hikvision called the FCC's action 'politically motivated' and said it 'lacks statutory authority,' strongly opposing the decision.
Paul Haswell , partner at Hill Dickinson , described the move as 'an extension of the tech and geopolitical status quo' in US-China technology relations.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finalised new rules expanding its import ban to cover older equipment models from blacklisted Chinese manufacturers, with the restrictions set to take effect next month. The move targets legacy gear from Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua — companies previously flagged as national security risks — and marks a significant broadening of the technology crackdown that began in 2022.
What the new rules cover
A 2022 ban had already blocked the import and sale of new telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from these five firms. The latest FCC decision closes a gap by extending restrictions to older equipment models that had not been captured under the original framework. According to the agency, these legacy systems 'continue to pose an unacceptable risk to national security.'
Critically, the rules apply to future imports and marketing of the older models — not to equipment already deployed by American businesses. Organisations currently operating such gear will not be immediately required to remove or replace it.
Industry and legal reaction
Hikvision, one of the world's largest suppliers of video surveillance equipment, issued a sharp rebuke. 'This action is not based on technical evidence or findings, but is a politically motivated move that lacks statutory authority,' a Hikvision spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Monday. The company said it 'strongly opposes' the FCC's decision.
Legal experts framed the development as an incremental rather than transformative step. Paul Haswell, partner at law firm Hill Dickinson, said: 'This is really just an extension of the tech and geopolitical status quo when it comes to the US relationship with China-originating technology.'
Why it matters
The expansion targets infrastructure embedded in US public safety and telecommunications networks — sectors where legacy equipment often remains in service for years after newer models are deployed. By closing the legacy loophole, the FCC is signalling that no vintage of Chinese-origin network hardware will be considered acceptable risk going forward.
The move also reinforces a broader pattern of regulatory action designed to reduce the footprint of Chinese technology across critical American infrastructure, accelerating procurement shifts toward non-Chinese vendors in both the public and private sectors.
What's next
With the new restrictions taking effect next month, suppliers and distributors of the affected equipment will need to halt imports and marketing immediately. Longer term, the policy could accelerate 'rip-and-replace' pressures on organisations still running legacy Huawei, ZTE, or Hikvision hardware, particularly those seeking federal contracts or subsidies. Whether Hikvision's legal challenge to the FCC's statutory authority gains traction will be a key variable to watch.
Point of View
And closing it was a matter of when, not if. What mainstream coverage underplays is the downstream procurement pressure this creates: organisations running legacy Chinese hardware in public safety networks now face an implicit clock, even if existing deployments are not immediately mandated for removal. Hikvision's 'lacks statutory authority' challenge is worth monitoring closely — if it gains legal traction, it could complicate the FCC's enforcement posture and embolden other affected vendors. More broadly, this move is another data point in the systematic de-Sinicisation of US critical infrastructure, a trend that is reshaping global supply chains in surveillance, networking, and telecom hardware well beyond American borders.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the FCC decide about Huawei and ZTE equipment?
The FCC finalised rules expanding its existing import ban to cover older, legacy equipment models from Huawei Technologies , ZTE , Hytera , Hikvision , and Dahua . The new restrictions, taking effect next month, close a gap left by the original 2022 ban, which only covered newer gear from these firms.
Why is the FCC banning older Chinese telecom equipment?
The FCC determined that legacy systems from the affected companies 'continue to pose an unacceptable risk to national security,' particularly within US public safety and telecommunications infrastructure. The agency's position is consistent with a broader US government effort to reduce Chinese technology in critical networks.
Will businesses already using Huawei or Hikvision equipment have to remove it?
No, not immediately. The FCC clarified that American businesses currently operating already-purchased equipment will not be immediately affected by the new rules. The ban applies to future imports and marketing of the older models, not to gear already deployed.
How has Hikvision responded to the FCC ban?
Hikvision said it 'strongly opposes' the decision, with a spokesperson calling it 'a politically motivated move that lacks statutory authority' and stating it is 'not based on technical evidence or findings.' The company issued the statement on Monday via email.
Which Chinese companies are affected by the expanded FCC ban?
The five companies affected are Huawei Technologies , ZTE , Hytera , Hikvision , and Dahua — all previously blacklisted by the FCC on national security grounds. The new rules extend restrictions on these firms to their older, legacy product lines.
