The US government cranked up restrictions on Huawei’s access to advanced chips, taking the unprecedented step of revoking export licences secured by Intel and Qualcomm, Financial Times (FT) reported.

The Department of Commerce (DoC) confirmed it rescinded some permits to export chips to Huawei for its laptops and smartphones but did not identify the suppliers, the newspaper wrote.

As part of its assessment process to determine how controls best protect national security, a DoC representative told FT “as we have done in the past, we sometimes revoke export licences”.

Last month, following the launch of Huawei’s first AI-enabled laptop, some members of Congress complained the department allowed Intel to sell the vendor advanced chips.

Huawei has faced widening restrictions on foreign components and software since 2019, when the DoC put it on an export control list. And since the launch of its Mate 60 Pro in August 2023, sporting a China-made processor, the US government has looked into taking measures against Chinese chipmakers believed to be supporting Huawei.

In an election year, the Joe Biden administration has made moves to limit Huawei’s access to critical technology. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission took steps to restrict the company’s lab from certifying wireless devices for use in the country. 

DoC rules introduced since 2019 require chipmakers to obtain a licence to export certain advanced chips.