US companies could get government approval to sell gear to Huawei soon.
Érika García / CNET
Licenses allowing US companies to sell equipment to Huawei “will be forthcoming very shortly,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg. A deal regarding the controversial Chinese company is apparently on track to be signed this month, as part of a wider US-China trade agreement.
The government has received 260 license requests, Ross told the business outlet on Sunday, a considerable jump on the 130 requests it had reportedly received in August.
“That’s a lot of applications — it’s frankly more than we would’ve thought,” he said in the interview, noting that most will likely be approved.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Watch this:
What is going on between Huawei and the US?
4:59
The department blacklisted Huawei in May, following an executive order from President Donald Trump that effectively banned Huawei from US communications networks. It required US companies to get a license to do business with the Chinese telecom, which has long been the subject of national security concerns due to its cozy relationship with the Chinese government.
The most obvious impact has been the loss of Android — Huawei has been forced to use an open-source version of Google’s operating system on its latest phones, like the Mate 30. A Huawei exec acknowledged that operating without services like Play Store or apps like Chrome is “the most challenging part” of the ban. However, we don’t know if Google is among the companies who’ve applied for licenses.
US companies were allowed to keep selling equipment to Huawei under a temporary general license, but that’s due to expire this month. In October, a report said Trump was ready to kick off the process of approving licenses.
Neither the Commerce Department, Google nor Huawei immediately responded to requests for comment.
First published at 3:07 a.m. PT.
Updated at 4:19 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.