Recognition: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
- Huawei may not see any easing of sanctions under Joe Biden’s administration.
- The new election for the Secretary of Commerce says she sees “no reason” why the company shouldn’t stay on the US company list.
Huawei’s misfortune began in 2019 when the Trump administration put it on a list of entities that prohibited it from doing business with US companies. With the recent changing of the guard in the country, there was hope that the Biden Huawei government would show some leniency. This possibility now seems bleak, as the election of the President for Trade Minister Gina Raimondo has said (h / t Bloomberg) that she sees “no reason” why Huawei and other Chinese companies shouldn’t stay under the trade embargo.
“I understand that parties in general are put on the entity list and the military end-user list because they pose a risk to US national security or foreign policy interests. I currently have no reason to believe that entities shouldn’t be on these lists. If this is confirmed, I look forward to a briefing on these and other companies of concern, ”Raimondo responded to written questions from Senate Republicans about their stance on Huawei and Hikvision.
In response to Raimondo’s remarks, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the eastern country continued to oppose the US sanctions imposed on its companies. “We urge you to stop this wanton suppression of Chinese companies,” said spokesman Wang Wenbin at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Huawei has seen a significant decline in its global smartphone market share. The company has lost its position in the list of the top five smartphone providers. In the fourth quarter of 2020, shipments decreased by 35%.
Given these latest developments, Huawei is unlikely to be exempted from harsh US sanctions anytime soon. It is developing its own operating system to make up for the loss of Google Mobile Services (GMS). However, this may not be enough to regain lost user interest.