Router Photo: VCG

The US decision to ban imports of new foreign-made routers, widely seen as targeting Chinese products, marks an escalation in Washington's tightening restrictions on Chinese technology, with Chinese analysts warning that the move further extends national security claims into normal commercial competition and could raise costs for consumers while undermining industry competitiveness.

According to a Reuters report, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Monday that it would prohibit the import of all new foreign-made consumer routers - devices that connect computers, phones and other smart equipment to the internet - citing concerns that such devices could pose "a severe cybersecurity risk" to US critical infrastructure.

The ban does not affect the import or use of existing models, but will effectively bar the import of all new foreign-made consumer routers, including products from Chinese companies that account for a substantial share of the US consumer router market.
 
The FCC justified the decision based on a White House-led review, claiming that vulnerabilities in foreign-made routers could be exploited for cyberattacks, espionage and intellectual property theft, while notably allowing exemptions for routers the Pentagon deems not to pose unacceptable risks, per Reuters.
 
Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst, said that the move reflects a broad and discretionary application of the "national security" concept rather than concrete security risks. "Washington has increasingly 'weaponized' such concerns, allowing restrictions to be imposed based on perceived rather than substantiated risks, a logic lacks a solid technical foundation," he told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Routers primarily serve as network access and data-forwarding devices rather than endpoints for storing large volumes of sensitive data, Ma said, noting that vulnerabilities, where they arise, are typically linked to software or configuration issues rather than the devices themselves, and the US has yet to present concrete evidence of actual security threats posed by Chinese-made routers.

The US government has in recent years stepped up scrutiny of Chinese network equipment on what it calls "national security risks." In December 2024, the US authorities had launched investigations into Chinese router maker TP-Link and were considering a potential ban on its products. By 2025 October, Washington was discussing whether to prohibit the sale of TP-Link routers in the US or impose restrictions on its business operations, according to multiple US media outlets.
 
However, a Bloomberg report said in October that there's no evidence that TP-Link was complicit in any of the [massive Volt and Salt Typhoon] attacks and the company has said that it hasn't been able to verify how its devices were affected, if at all.

In February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP-Link Systems, a California-based router manufacturer spun off from TP-Link, claiming it had allowed China access to US consumers' devices, according to Reuters. Similarly, the company denied the allegations, saying it would "vigorously defend" its reputation and stressing that the Chinese government has no ownership or control over the company, its products or user data.
 

The latest move shows that US authorities are shifting from company-specific scrutiny to category-wide restrictions on Chinese products, Ma said, warning "Selective restrictions based on origin risk undermining the US effort to strengthen network security."

According to data cited by Reuters, China is estimated to control at least 60 percent of the US market for home routers, underscoring what analysts said the potential disruption to supply chains and consumer access following the ban.
 
Ma noted China's strong market position is driven by the compatibility, safety and cost advantages of its products, rather than any non-market factors. The US discriminatory and restrictive measures could drive up costs for consumers and businesses, as alternative suppliers may face capacity constraints or higher production costs, he added.

"Global electronics manufacturing is deeply integrated," the analyst said, noting that a sudden shift away from established supply chains is unlikely to enhance efficiency or reduce the market's reliance on competitively priced, high-quality Chinese products in the short term.

In recent years, Washington has moved to restrict or ban equipment from Chinese companies including Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision and others. The FCC has also introduced similar restrictions on Chinese-made drones and other electronics, reflecting what analysts describe as a widening scope of technology anxiety and the securitization of economic and commercial issues.
 
Ma emphasized that technological resilience depends on collaboration across borders rather than exclusion. "The internet was built on openness. Turning it into competing blocs would undermine both global innovation and security," he added.

China has expressed opposition to the US use of national security as a pretext to suppress Chinese companies. Foreign Minister spokesperson Lin Jian said previously that "China opposes the US' overstretching the concept of national security and its discriminatory practices targeting particular countries and companies," adding China will take resolute measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.