Huawei just can’t catch a break with the US government. The country’s government has reportedly been in contact with several key allies – strongly urging them to refrain from using any equipment made by the China-based electronics company.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the list includes Germany, Italy, and Japan. With the US government citing “cybersecurity risks” as a key issue behind its stance against Huawei.
But boycotting Huawei products may prove difficult for the US allies, considering the amount of clout that the Chinese brand has in each country’s market. On average, Italy’s Telecom Italis SpA and Japan’s NTT Docomo Inc allocate more than 5% of their total expenditure to the brand.
This isn’t the first time that Huawei has come under scrutiny by the US. Back in April, the telecommunications company fell under the gaze of the US Department of Justice. When it was accused of violating sanctions against Iran.
A month later, the US Department of Defense issue a nationwide ban on all the brand’s smartphones. The former citing fear of espionage and the possibility of subterfuge by the Chinese government through said Huawei devices.
Besides Huawei, another telecommunications company, ZTE, was also banned from purchasing US-made components due to similar violations, although some of the restrictions were later reduced by the Trump administration.
(Source: Bloomberg via Hot Hardware)
