US Revokes Chip Sales Licenses to Huawei

The US government has revoked some licences that enables US chip makers to export certain goods to Chinese technology giant, Huawei.

The Department of Commerce hasn't detailed the permits that were revoked, but this action comes after Huawei introduced an AI-enabled computer utilizing an Intel chip. 

Since 2019, the US has limited technology exports, including computer chips, to Huawei due to purported connections to the Chinese military.

"We have revoked certain licenses for exports to Huawei," the Commerce Department said in a statement on Tuesday, but did not give details of which permits had been withdrawn.

Some US lawmakers had criticised the administration of President Joe Biden following the launch last month of Huawei's MateBook X Pro laptop.

"Make no mistake, the Biden Administration would not have taken this action if Republicans in Congress were not holding them accountable," said Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in a social media post.

US trade restrictions dealt a significant blow to Huawei, but recently, the company has shown signs of recovery. Following the release of the Mate 60 Pro smartphone in August, Huawei has experienced a notable resurgence.

Back in 2019, during Donald Trump's presidency, US officials placed Huawei on an "entity list," requiring US companies to secure government licenses for exporting or transferring certain technologies, amid concerns about potential usage by the Chinese military. 

Despite this, some US firms, like Intel and Qualcomm, have been granted licenses during this period to provide Huawei with non-5G-related technology.