Commerce to Issue Decisions on Huawei License Applications, Officials Say

The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security finalized some interagency reviews of Huawei license applications and will begin issuing approvals and denials on a “rolling basis,” according to Matt Borman, Commerce deputy assistant secretary for export administration. The announcement was first made by Secretary Wilbur Ross, who told Fox Business on Nov. 19 that Commerce has started “to send out the 20-day intent-to-deny letters and some approvals.” Ross also said Commerce has received about 290 “requests for specific licenses.”

Speaking during a Nov. 20 Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee meeting, Borman declined to say how many licenses Commerce planned to approve or deny but called it an ongoing process. “It will continue,” he said. Commerce had “quite a few that were in the queue,” Borman said, saying the Trump administration has come to decisions on an “initial batch” after an interagency review process. But others are taking longer. “There are some that are still pending with one or more agencies,” he said.

Although Commerce did not say how many decisions would be issued, BIS plans to approve at least “several” licenses while denying others, a Commerce spokesperson said. The licenses deal with exports of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, the spokesperson said, describing the licenses as “narrow.” License approvals will only be given to exports that do not pose a “significant” threat to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, according to the spokesperson. The administration reached decisions on the licenses after an interagency review process that included officials from the departments of Defense, State and Energy, the spokesperson said.

The Semiconductor Industry Association applauded the announcement, saying it welcomes approvals for licenses that do not pose national security threats. “Sales of these non-sensitive commercial products help ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. semiconductor industry, which is essential to national security,” SIA President John Neuffer said in a statement. “We hope license approvals continue to proceed in an appropriate and timely manner.”