The US administration comes up with another clever reason for phones and tablets to get pricier

Before a tech product like a phone or a tablet reaches a US shelf for you to grab it, it needs to be certified. Like many other things, this is often (and largely) done in China by overseas labs.

This must end, the FCC argues.

And, as a result, the lowered testing capacity could lead to slower product launches and higher costs for companies, since testing in the US is more expensive. And you know who ends up paying more? Why, the end consumer, of course.

The proposition

Later in April the Federal Communications Commission will vote on ​a proposal to bar all Chinese labs from testing numerous gadgets (not just smartphones, but cameras and computers, too) for use in the US.

In 2025, the FCC put the kibosh on Chinese labs that were owned or heavily controlled by the overseas government. This took 23 labs out of the equation. But the FCC says there are numerous China-based labs that are still testing US electronics.

What do they do?

Workers there check, for example, if a phone's signals interfere with other devices. They verify many safety and compliance standards.

These quality-control checkpoints are pretty important and the FCC says about 75% of all electronics are tested in labs in China.

When will they vote?

The idea is to vote on the proposal on April 30. Prior to that, there could be another vote. This one would be about adopting "a streamlined approval process for devices tested in US labs". Alternatively, labs based in other ​countries (that don't, in theory, pose national security risks) could be chosen as well.

More prohibitions

Right now, it's not just Huawei that is hit with severe restrictions by the US government. Chinese-made drones are also banned in the US over "national security risks".

But these restrictions could escalate soon, as the FCC proposes to extend the ban.

The broader push builds on earlier restrictions introduced in 2021, when companies like Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera and ZTE were placed on the FCC's Covered List over security concerns tied to US networks and infrastructure.

At the time, the restrictions applied mainly to new, unapproved products, allowing already certified devices to remain on sale. The new proposal goes much further, aiming to block these companies fully from the US market, including previously approved products.