The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday approved a sweeping expansion of its restrictions on Chinese technology imports. This broadens an existing ban to include older telecommunications and video surveillance equipment made by several Chinese firms that Washington considers national security risks.
The new rules prohibit the import of previously approved equipment manufactured by Chinese companies including Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision and Dahua Technology. The restrictions will take effect in early July and represent the latest escalation in the ongoing technology dispute between the United States and China.
The FCC first barred approvals for new models of equipment from those companies in 2022 after placing them on its “Covered List” of firms deemed to pose unacceptable risks to U.S. national security. Under the expanded policy, products that had received authorization before the 2022 order will also be prohibited from entering the U.S. market.
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Federal officials said the move is designed to strengthen protections for communications infrastructure used in public safety systems, government facilities and other critical networks.
“The threat landscape has evolved, and our rules must evolve with it,” FCC officials said in announcing the expanded restrictions, emphasizing that the agency aims to prevent equipment from companies viewed as potential security risks from entering U.S. communications networks.
The order does not require consumers or businesses to remove equipment they already own. Instead, it prevents additional imports of covered products once the new rules take effect. The decision builds on a series of actions taken by the FCC over the past year targeting Chinese technology. In December 2025, the agency prohibited imports of new Chinese-made drones, while in March 2026 it restricted new Chinese consumer routers. Existing products already in use were not affected by those earlier actions.
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The commission is also reviewing whether to further tighten restrictions by limiting U.S. telecommunications carriers from interconnecting with Chinese telecom companies, a move that could impact Chinese firms operating data centers and communications services in the United States.
One of the affected companies, Hikvision, has challenged previous FCC decisions in court, arguing that the regulator exceeded its statutory authority. The legal dispute remains ongoing.
The expanded ban comes as the United States continues to broaden technology-related restrictions involving China across sectors including telecommunications, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, connected vehicles and critical infrastructure. U.S. officials have repeatedly cited national security concerns as the basis for the measures, while Beijing has criticized the restrictions as discriminatory and harmful to bilateral trade relations.
The latest action underscores Washington’s continued effort to reduce reliance on Chinese communications technology while tightening oversight of equipment used in sensitive government and infrastructure networks.