US storage heavyweights face inquiry over fraternization with Huawei
US Department of Commerce advances investigation into the supply of HDDs to Huawei
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US-based storage companiesSeagate, Western Digital and Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC) have been asked to respond to a series of questions relating to an inquiry into the potential supply ofhard drivesto Huawei.
Launched in March, the investigation is being conducted by the US Department of Commerce and originally focused on whether Seagate in particular had provided the blacklisted Chinese firm with HDDs.
A letter authored by Senator Roger Wicker, a member of the US Commerce Committee, has now been delivered to the three storage heavyweights, containing questions (included in full below) about their interpretation of trade regulations, shipping licenses and relationship with Huawei.
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Huawei trade restrictions
Huawei was first blacklisted by the US in May 2019, requiring US-based companies to halt certain trading activities with the Chinese firm.
Namely, the US Department of Commerce stated the company should not be able to get hold of “chips developed or produced from US software or technology to the same degree as comparable US chips”.
An amendment that came into effect in July 2019 made it possible for companies to supply Huawei and its affiliates, but only after applying for and receiving a special license.
A spokesperson for Western Digital toldThe Registerthe firm has applied for the necessary license, but is still awaiting approval.
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“We stopped shipping to Huawei in mid-September 202 to comply with new rules issued by the Department of Commerce,” the spokesperson explained. “We requested a license to ship products to Huawei in September 2020.”
Seagate is thought not to have applied for special dispensation, while TAEC has provided no indication of its intentions in this regard.
The questions in full
ViaThe Register
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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