- FCC votes to ban Chinese and Hong Kong testing labs
- 75% of US-bound devices are tested in China
- The ban could seriously shake up the US electronics supply chain
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to ban Chinese labs from certifying devices bound for the United States.
Any device that emits a radio frequency requires FCC approval before being sold in the US, and currently 75% of devices headed to the US are tested in laboratories in China.
All laboratories in China and Hong Kong will lose their ability to certify products due to fears that China may compromise devices before they are shipped to the United States.
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China’s lab ban could shake up supply chain
The unanimous vote on April 30, 2026 by the FCC expands a previous ban on 15 state-owned or government-linked Chinese laboratories to apply to all laboratories in China. This means that up to 75% of units bound for the US must be tested elsewhere.
Many testing laboratories are located in China near production sites, which makes the logistics of transporting goods to testing laboratories much simpler. Of the FCC’s 591 recognized testing laboratories, 126 are located in China.
Some of the labs operate as subsidiaries of Western firms, meaning there is some capacity to move testing facilities outside of China or use existing facilities in the US, Europe and Taiwan. However, this is likely to result in additional transport costs which may be passed on to the consumer.
Seam Tom’s hardware reports, FCC certification tests in China cost between $400 and $1,300, compared to $3,000 to $4,000 for tests in the United States. FCC certification in Europe and Taiwan is also likely to be more expensive than China, further increasing transportation costs.
While the vote is not final and is subject to a public comment period expected to last 60 to 90 days, the big question is how device makers will change their supply chains to comply with the potential ban. However, there will be a two-year grace period if the ban is passed, allowing manufacturers to adjust.
While there is certainly rationale in questioning the integrity of electronics testing labs in China, especially state-owned enterprises, China is a dominant manufacturing center for American electronics. If there are national security concerns over Chinese testing facilities, there are national security concerns over Chinese manufacturing facilities.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the commission is considering a number of options “to secure our networks from these bad actors.”
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