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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Huawei Fights United States Funding Ban in Court

Chinese tech giant Huawei has asked a U.S. federal court to throw out a rule that bars rural phone carriers from using government money to buy its equipment, on security grounds.

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei has asked a U.S. federal court to throw out a rule that bars rural phone carriers from using government money to buy its equipment, on security grounds.

The lawsuit announced Thursday is Huawei Technologies’ second legal challenge this year to Trump administration efforts to reduce its already minimal U.S. market presence. The company is scrambling to preserve its global sales of smartphones and network gear after sanctions announced in May that limit access to U.S. components and technology.

Huawei, which says it is employee-owned and has no government ties, denies U.S. accusations it is a security risk and might facilitate Chinese spying.

Huawei is at the center of U.S.-Chinese tension over Beijing's technology ambitions and complaints the communist government steals and pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

Huawei's lawsuit in New Orleans Federal Court says the Federal Communications Commission acted improperly when it voted in November to bar rural carriers from using government subsidies to buy equipment from Huawei or its Chinese rival, ZTE Corp.

The decision "is based on politics, not security," Huawei's chief legal officer, Song Liuping, told a news conference.

The lawsuit says the FCC exceeded its authority by making national security judgments, designated Huawei a threat without evidence and violated its own procedures by adopting a rule without citing a legal basis.

U.S. courts have traditionally been reluctant to second-guess government judgments about national security.

In a separate lawsuit filed in March, Huawei asked a federal court in Texas to strike down a ban on the U.S. government using its equipment or dealing with any contractor that does.

All the while, U.S. prosecutors are trying to extradite Huawei's chief financial officer from Canada to face charges she lied to banks about dealings with Iran.

Chinese authorities say the United States is exaggerating security concerns to block a potential competitor.

Huawei said the FCC rule will hurt rural U.S. carriers, which buy the Chinese vendor's equipment because other major suppliers such as Nokia and Ericsson are more expensive.

Song said that while potential lost sales are minimal, if the rule is allowed to stand, Huawei might suffer "reputational losses" that will "have a further impact on our business."

Huawei's U.S. sales plunged after a congressional panel warned in 2012 that the company and ZTE were security risks and told carriers to avoid them. However, its sales in Europe and developing markets in Asia and Africa have risen steadily.

Huawei has reported that its global sales rose by 24.4% in the first nine months of 2019 over a year earlier to $86 billion.

The Trump administration imposed curbs in May that threaten to disrupt Huawei's sales of smartphones and network gear by blocking access to U.S. technology and components, including Google's music, maps and other mobile services.

The administration announced a series of limited reprieves that allow vendors to supply technology needed to support wireless networks in rural areas.

In November, Huawei started selling a folding smartphone, the Mate X, made without U.S.-supplied processor chips or Google apps. The company also has unveiled a smartphone operating system it says can replace Google's Android if necessary.

Categories / Business, Economy, Government, International, Technology

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