FCC votes to ban Chinese labs from testing electronics for US market, China vows countermeasures

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 3–0 on October 29, 2026 to bar Chinese laboratories from testing electronics for U.S. market authorization, effective December 1, 2028. The measure excludes test facilities in countries lacking reciprocal trade agreements with the U.S., addressing security risks and data falsification after Chinese labs handled 82.3% of authorizations in 2025. China's Ministry of Commerce firmly opposes the ban, warning of countermeasures if the U.S. persists.

Implementation of the new FCC rules

• ▪The FCC's new testing rules will take full effect on December 1, 2028, giving electronics manufacturers two years to shift testing to laboratories in the United States or qualifying reciprocal economies.
• ▪The FCC ban terminates recognition of testing laboratories and certification bodies in countries, including China, that lack a mutual recognition agreement or reciprocal trade agreement with the United States.
• ▪The FCC voted 3–0 to bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices for regulatory approval for the U.S. market
• ▪The U.S. Federal Communications Commission stated that existing equipment certifications will remain valid and products approved under the current framework will not automatically require retesting.

Evidence of test data falsification

• ▪FCC engineer Thomas Rigolage stated at an October 29, 2026 meeting that the agency recently found four Chinese laboratories reusing identical test results across different products.
• ▪The FCC withdrew laboratory recognition from Dongguan-based SLG-CPC Test Laboratory Co. Ltd.

China's reaction to the ban

• ▪The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that the FCC restrictions severely damage the stability of China-U.S. economic relations and disrupt global supply chains.
• ▪China's Ministry of Commerce warned on October 30, 2026 that Beijing will take necessary countermeasures to defend its interests if the United States persists in unilaterally restricting Chinese testing laboratories.
• ▪The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that China previously proposed negotiating a bilateral mutual-recognition agreement, but U.S. officials responded passively and negatively while remaining open to resolving the issue through consultation.

Previous FCC restrictions on foreign technology

• ▪In May 2025, the FCC adopted rules barring laboratories owned, controlled, or directed by foreign adversaries or prohibited entities, leading to the withdrawal of recognition from 32 foreign-adversary-controlled laboratories.
• ▪The FCC has implemented additional tech restrictions targeting Chinese firms, including banning imports of new consumer routers, new Chinese drone models, and equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

FCC Chairman's security concerns

• ▪FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that Chinese testing laboratories could approve insecure equipment, disrupt communications networks, or steal intellectual property while having access to confidential technical information months before products are released.
• ▪FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that the agency began investigating testing laboratories after discovering that Huawei operated an FCC-recognized testing facility.

Dominance of Chinese testing labs

• ▪FCC officials stated that the concentration of testing in China hinders U.S. regulators from verifying compliance, investigating misconduct, and enforcing testing standards.
• ▪October 29, 2026 FCC meeting figures showed Chinese laboratories performed 82.3 percent of FCC equipment-authorization testing in 2025, up from about 13 percent in 2007, while domestic U.S. laboratories fell from about 31 percent to 3.6 percent.