The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a new order prohibiting the continued importation and marketing of communications equipment from companies placed on its Covered List in 2024 or earlier. This significant policy shift, detailed in a Public Notice (DA 26-635) released on June 26, 2026, aims to close a previous loophole that allowed older, previously authorized equipment from these entities to enter the U.S. market. The ban specifically targets products from companies such as Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua, ZTE, and Hytera.
Previously, the FCC had banned these firms from importing new equipment starting in 2022, but products released before that date were grandfathered in. The new directive explicitly extends the prohibition to these older, already authorized devices. Chris McGuire highlighted this development in a tweet, stating, > "A new FCC order issued tonight bans the import of all covered equipment from any equipment company that was placed on the Covered List before 2025–covering Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua, ZTE, and Hytera... Now all equipment from these firms is banned from being imported, even old equipment."
The FCC's decision underscores national security concerns, asserting that the continued availability of such equipment poses "unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons." The Commission emphasized that these risks outweigh any potential economic or supply chain disruptions. The prohibition will take effect 10 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
However, the new order does not extend to companies added to the Covered List in 2025 or 2026. This distinction is crucial for drone manufacturers DJI and Autel, which were added to the FCC's Covered List in December 2025, according to a Hogan Lovells analysis of FCC actions. Therefore, while the tweet speculated that the order "would ban the import of all DJI and Autel products as well," the official FCC Public Notice clarifies that equipment added to the list in 2025 or 2026, such as certain foreign-produced Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), is not affected by this specific prohibition.
This latest action is part of a broader, ongoing effort by the U.S. government to secure its telecommunications infrastructure and supply chains against perceived national security threats from foreign adversaries. The FCC continues to update its Covered List based on determinations from federal agencies with national security expertise.
