The U.S. FCC will vote to ban all Chinese laboratories from testing U.S. electronic products.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it plans to hold a vote on October 29 to approve a new rule that would prohibit all laboratories and certification bodies based in China from providing testing and certification services for electronic products—such as smartphones, cameras, and computers—intended for the U.S. market. If adopted, the ban is expected to take effect in December 2028, significantly reshaping the global supply chain for compliance testing of electronic devices.

The FCC stated that the new regulations will restrict laboratories and certification bodies in countries or regions—such as China—that do not grant equivalent reciprocal treatment to U.S. domestic testing facilities from undertaking testing of electronic devices for the U.S. market. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr noted that, by 2025, 82% of testing for electronic products sold in the U.S. will be conducted in China, yet no mutual recognition agreement has been signed between the two countries; currently, fewer than 4% of such tests are performed in U.S.-based laboratories. He emphasized that the FCC will uphold the principles of fairness and reciprocity in international trade.

In fact, as early as 2025, the FCC had already placed dozens of Chinese laboratories on its restricted‑list; however, the agency acknowledges that the vast majority of Chinese testing labs continue to handle testing services for electronic products destined for the U.S. In terms of supporting measures, the FCC is simultaneously planning to establish streamlined approval pathways for two categories of devices: electronic equipment tested by U.S.-based laboratories, or those whose test reports are issued by laboratories located in countries or regions deemed to pose no national security risks.

This proposal represents the FCC’s latest move in its ongoing effort to tighten restrictions on China in the communications and electronics sectors. Looking back at past policies, in December 2025, the FCC issued rules banning the import of new Chinese‑made drones and consumer‑grade routers into the U.S. market; earlier still, the agency, citing national security concerns, had restricted certain Chinese companies from providing telecommunications services in the United States. Entering 2026, in July the FCC voted to adopt new regulations prohibiting the sale in the U.S. market of devices equipped with core hardware from Chinese firms deemed to pose national security risks, and it also proposed barring U.S. telecom operators from engaging in network interconnection with relevant Chinese telecommunications companies.

Industry analysts note that FCC testing and certification for electronic devices is a prerequisite for consumer electronics and semiconductor hardware products seeking to enter the U.S. market. If the proposed vote is adopted, a large number of end‑products exported to the United States would be forced to relocate their testing facilities, thereby increasing compliance costs and extending delivery timelines for domestic electronics manufacturers and imposing significant pressure on China’s testing and certification sector as well as the semiconductor‑based end‑product supply chain serving the North American market. The industry will continue to closely monitor the outcome of the FCC vote scheduled for October 29, along with the detailed regulatory text.