FCC Advances Proposals to Bar Chinese Labs and Data Centers

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously on April 30, 2026, to advance proposals that would ban all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices for use in the United States. Because China lacks a mutual recognition agreement with the U.S., the measure would disqualify labs that currently test approximately 75% of U.S. electronics, including smartphones, cameras, and computers. If approved, products certified by these labs would be phased out over two years.

In a separate 3-0 vote, the commission advanced a proposal to prohibit China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom from operating data centers within the U.S. The agency is also considering banning telecom carriers from interconnecting with companies on its national security Covered List, which includes Huawei and ZTE.

The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China condemned the moves on May 1, describing them as discriminatory and devoid of factual basis. Beijing argued that the measures overstretch the concept of national security and threaten to destabilize global supply chains and bilateral trade. The ministry urged the U.S. to revoke the proposals and warned that China would take necessary measures to safeguard its enterprises if the restrictions are implemented.