Huawei to be treated as blacklisted company in the U.S., despite Trump’s olive branch

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump extending an olive branch to China’s President Xi Jinping, Huawei is still to be considered and treated as blacklisted, according to a senior U.S. official’s instructions to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Trump had initially signed off an executive order in May that banned Huawei from selling or buying products with companies based in the U.S.

During a visit in Osaka, Japan for the G20 Summit, Trump confirmed that Huawei is now allowed to resume business and purchase parts from U.S. companies.

He didn’t confirm whether or not Huawei is allowed to operate in the U.S.

Jon Sonderman, the deputy director of the Office of Export Enforcement in the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, clarified to enforcement staff how licence requests seeking approval to sell to Huawei should be managed, according to Reuters.

“This party is on the Entity List. Evaluate the associated license review policy under part 744,” he wrote in a note to enforcement staff. He included in the note regulations that include the Entity List and the “presumption of denial” licensing policy towards companies that are blacklisted.

Sonderman said that any guidance from his department should also be taken into account when dealing with requests related to Huawei.

According to an anonymous person familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that it was the only guidance enforcement staff had received.

It is unclear whether or not the Commerce Department will provide staff with more information.

Source: Reuters