Lawmaker Seeks Answers on Huawei Export Restrictions From Commerce

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is concerned that Huawei is evading U.S. export restrictions on semiconductors and ordering them from U.S. companies with the intent to ship them in case those companies are granted export licenses, he said in a Dec. 17 letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Rubio asked Ross to provide information on how many individual export licenses Commerce has approved for U.S. semiconductor manufacturers to Huawei and whether it would be legal for U.S. companies to “stockpile” items for eventual export to Huawei pending a licensing decision, or to “receive compensation from Huawei for doing so.” Rubio also asked whether the administration plans to remove Huawei from the Entity List. A Commerce spokesperson pointed to Ross's statement last week, in which he said the U.S. will continue to use Entity List restrictions to prevent China's military from acquiring sensitive semiconductor equipment.