The Biden administration has stopped providing US companies with licences to export to Huawei as it moves towards imposing a total ban on the sale of American technology to the Chinese telecom equipment giant.

Several people familiar with discussions inside the administration said the commerce department had notified some companies that it would no longer grant licences to export American technology to Huawei. The move marks the latest prong in Washington’s campaign to curb the tech company, which national security officials believe helps China engage in espionage.

The Trump administration imposed severe restrictions on exporting technology to Huawei, but the commerce department had granted licences to some companies for products that were not related to high-speed 5G telecom networks. However Alan Estevez, head of the commerce department’s bureau of industry and service, has been leading a review of China-related policy in an effort to determine whether the US would take further steps to restrict such exports.

The move comes as Washington steps up efforts to work with allies to slow China’s push to develop cutting-edge technology such semiconductors that are used in artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons. The US last week reached a trilateral deal with Japan and the Netherlands that would impose restrictions on companies in those countries exporting certain chip-making equipment to China.

The US in October imposed unilateral restrictions on American companies from exporting semiconductor manufacturing tools.

The commerce department declined to comment. Huawei also did not comment.

More to follow . . . 

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