United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday extended his executive order barring US companies from working with or purchasing telecom equipment from companies that pose a national security risk through May 2021, Reuters reported.
President Trump had signed an executive order on May 2019 declaring a national emergency and barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by blacklisted firms.
The order invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, giving the President the authority to pass such regulations citing a national emergency that threatens the country.
According to the report, US lawmakers had said that the order was aimed specifically at Chinese companies such as Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp, which could no longer sell products in the US or work with companies such as Google and Microsoft for software and licenses.
For instance, Huawei phones no longer had acess to Android services such as Google maps.
However, firms like Huawei had been able to find workarounds in the form of temporary licenses from the US Commerce Department allowing it to support existing hardware with software updates, the Verge reported.
The most recent extension provided for the license is about to expire on May 15.
The Commerce Department is expected to further extend the license, according to the Reuters report. However, neither Huawei or the Commerce department have indicated yet whether or not will another extension be granted.