A Reuters report alleges the US revoked chip export licenses for Huawei from Qualcomm and Intel. While the Commerce Department confirmed revoking “certain licenses,” specific companies remain unnamed.
This move, if accurate, significantly hinders HUAWEI’s ability to produce laptops due to a lack of these essential components. Existing stock of Intel chips might limit production of recently announced MateBook X Pro models.
Qualcomm, Intel, and HUAWEI haven’t commented yet. China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the action, calling it an unjustified suppression of Chinese companies.
The tension stems from 2019, when the US placed HUAWEI on a trade blacklist citing national security concerns. This required suppliers to obtain special licenses, now reportedly revoked for these chipmakers.
Previously, Qualcomm received a license for older 4G chips, while maintaining a separate patent deal for 5G technology expiring in 2025 (unclear if used for Huawei’s Kirin chips).