Trump set to sign executive order rolling out US ban on Huawei
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order this week that will set in motion the country’s ban on Chinese tech firm Huawei.
Trump is set to sign a long-discussed executive order preventing US companies from using telecoms equipment made by firms that pose a national security risk, Reuters reported, citing three US officials familiar with the plan.
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The move would pave the way for a total ban on Huawei, as well as rival Chinese firm ZTE.
The Trump administration has been planning the measure for more than a year and has been lobbying its allies to roll out similar bans amid concerns Huawei could be a vehicle for spying by Chinese authorities.
But the order, which will not name specific countries or companies, has been subject to repeated delays, according to the report.
Trump would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president authority to regulate business in response to a national emergency.
The order will direct the commerce department and other government agencies to draw up a plan for enforcement, the sources said.
The move would come as tensions between the US and China reach fever pitch, with the world's two largest economies ramping up tariffs after negotiators failed to reach a deal to end a long-running trade war.
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Trump has already signed a bill blocking US government departments from using equipment made by Huawei and ZTE, but the order would effectively ban any use of the companies’ products in the US.
A total ban has already been rolled out in Australia, while the UK is reportedly set to instigate a partial ban.