US move to ban Chinese routers as part of onshoring push could be uphill battle: analysts
Foreign router makers seeking conditional approval must disclose details such as corporate structure and supply-chain information
A US move to ban imports of new foreign-made consumer routers aims to pressure Chinese manufacturers to “onshore” parts of their production chain, although that will be a challenge given limited US manufacturing capacity, according to analysts.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Monday that it had updated its Covered List to include consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries, citing concerns that the devices could “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons”.
Su Lian Jye, chief analyst at market consultancy Omdia, attributed the FCC ban to Washington’s ongoing expansion of its national security scrutiny.
“Key concerns include potential botnet exploitation, firmware vulnerabilities and supply chain compromise”, Su said.
While the FCC did not name specific countries or router makers in its Monday statement, the US House Select Committee hailed the FCC move and said in a notice that “routers are key to keeping us all connected and we cannot allow Chinese technology to be at the centre of that”.
The ban came after the FCC launched an investigation into Chinese router maker TP-Link in late 2024 over cyberattack concerns.