Commerce Plans to Issue Decisions on Huawei Export License Applications Within 'Weeks,’ Secretary Says

The Commerce Department plans to issue decisions on Huawei-related export license applications “within the next few weeks,” Secretary Wilbur Ross said July 23 on Bloomberg Television. Ross said Commerce has received about 50 applications from 35 companies. “We’re processing them as quickly as we responsibly can,” he said.

Ross’ comments came less than a month after he told a Bureau of Industry and Security export controls conference that Commerce would be approving license applications that do not impact national security. At the same conference on July 9, Commerce Acting Undersecretary for Industry and Security Nazak Nikakhtar said decisions on the licenses would be coming “soon" (see 1907090068).

Although Ross said on July 23 that Commerce is reviewing the applications “very promptly,” he declined to give an exact date because he said Commerce is still receiving applications. “The notion that we'll set an exact date by which we come to a conclusion on all the applications is silly,” Ross said. He again stressed that Commerce would likely be approving most applications if they don’t impact U.S. national security, although it is unclear how exactly Commerce will determine that. “Those that are not sensitive from a national security point of view, we’re going to be looking pretty favorably on,” Ross said. “Those that are sensitive are in a different category that we have to be very, very careful about them.”

Ross added that Huawei “is not necessarily a part of the trade negotiations" with China, appearing to contradict a belief among some experts that Huawei will be removed from the Entity List if the U.S. reaches a trade deal with China (see 1907180033). “Huawei in its genesis was an enforcement action. And it was taken for national security purposes,” Ross said. “It's not why the trade talks broke down.”

Ross also declined to give a timeline for a U.S.-China trade deal. ‘It's impossible to judge how long it may take. The president’s objective is to get a proper deal or go ahead with the tariffs,” Ross said. "It’s not important whether it’s done a week from Tuesday or one month or two months. What is important is that we make a deal that’s a proper deal and that is a really good deal. That’s his overriding objective, and that’s much more important than exact timing.”