On Wednesday, April 8th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on its official website that a new order will be voted on this month which proposes to completely ban Chinese laboratories from participating in testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras, and computers in the United States. This decision aims to further expand the previous restrictions imposed on Chinese laboratories.
Last year in 2025, the FCC had already prohibited laboratories owned or controlled by foreign hostile forces, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from testing American electronic devices. At that time, a total of 23 “Bad Labs” posing threats to U.S. national security were already blacklisted.
However, the FCC pointed out that the majority of testing laboratories located in China are still conducting testing operations on U.S. electronic devices. According to FCC data, about 75% of electronic devices worldwide are tested in China.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced in the public notice that the commission will be voting on new rules to ensure the integrity, security, and reciprocity of electronic device testing. These proposed rules will be voted on during the monthly meeting in April.
The announcement also mentioned that after the vote on this order, public input will be solicited and the ban will ultimately be implemented. However, before the final rules are determined, the FCC will adopt a streamlined approval process for devices tested in laboratories in the “continental United States” and in “reciprocal countries.”
This move is a follow-up action by the FCC after taking action against “Bad Labs,” and in the future, laboratories and certification bodies that have not signed the “Mutual Recognition Agreement with U.S. Testing Laboratories and Certification Entities” will no longer be recognized.
Carr stated in the announcement, “President Trump placed reciprocity at the core of our international trade relationships, fundamentally changing the way the United States engages with the world. Currently, over 75% of testing is being conducted in countries that refuse to commit to reciprocity for U.S. labs and certification entities. This month, the FCC will initiate a process to end this unfair system.”
The proposal that will be voted on this month aims to prohibit recognizing testing laboratories and certification bodies located in countries that have not signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the United States or other equivalent reciprocal trade agreements. These laboratories will be gradually phased out within two years.
Additionally, the FCC will vote this month to establish a fast-track review process for devices tested in trusted testing laboratories, which include laboratories located in the United States or international locations with reciprocal agreements.
The order will also introduce a series of measures to uphold the integrity of the equipment authorization system. These measures include requiring disclosure of the location and number of personnel in laboratories conducting FCC-approved testing tasks, enhancing the FCC’s post-market surveillance procedures, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and establishing a confidential reporting channel for industry participants to raise concerns about violations or national security threats.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to these developments.
This action marks a further escalation of the United States’ crackdown on China in the technology sector. On April 3rd, the FCC proposed to ban the import of equipment from certain Chinese manufacturers, with the approval of new model products from these manufacturers being halted as early as 2022.
For companies already blacklisted by the FCC, even old equipment that was authorized for sale in the U.S. before the 2022 ban will now be banned from importation. Hikvision has expressed opposition to this move, criticizing the FCC for attempting to retroactively revoke previously legal authorizations.
As early as 2021, the FCC had placed Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua Technologies, among other companies closely associated with the CCP, on a blacklist of telecommunications and surveillance equipment that poses a threat to U.S. national security. Previously, the FCC had also banned some Chinese companies from providing telecommunication services in the United States.
On March 23, citing national security considerations, the U.S. FCC further prohibited the import of new consumer-grade routers manufactured in China, which are core devices for connecting computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet.
On March 18, the FCC granted exemptions for four foreign-manufactured drone systems and their critical components from a comprehensive import ban implemented in December 2025. Notably, these approved models do not originate from Chinese companies.
Affected by the ban issued in December last year, several latest flagship models by DJI are unable to be sold in the United States. As a response, DJI legally challenged the FCC’s decision to ban the import of all their new models and key components in February. The company accused the FCC of “arbitrary restrictions” on its U.S. operations and “blatantly refusing American customers access to DJI’s latest technology.”
Nevertheless, DJI seems to be attempting to introduce products under other brand names, such as camera brand Xtra and consumer-grade drone brand SkyRover, into the U.S. market discreetly. However, this could potentially face stricter blockades and penalties from the FCC.