Until recently, Huawei was one of the mobile brands with the largest presence worldwide, but in 2019, Donald Trump’s veto put the company in serious trouble, preventing it from getting permission to use Google services in new mobiles, as well as other restrictions.
As the US elections have ended and Joe Biden has become the new president of the United States, many took it for granted that the situation for Huawei would return to the pre-veto era. But will this finally be the case? At the moment, it does not seem to be so clear-cut, but the Biden administration seems to be taking the first steps.
Huawei could get Google services back, but no guarantees yet
After Biden’s inauguration, his team has started working to ensure the best for the United States. In addition to its own election promises, the Biden administration is challenged to review some of its predecessor’s most controversial decisions, with the veto of Huawei preventing the Chinese giant from dealing with U.S. companies being among them.
Will Huawei be allowed to trade with Google and other companies again? Although there is no definitive answer, it seems that they will review the veto. Gina Raimondo, the current governor of Rhode Island and candidate to head the U.S. Commerce Department, was asked by Senator Ted Cruz about keeping Huawei on the blacklist.
Gina assured that she will review the policy and consult with the senator himself, industry, and allies to assess what will be best for U.S. security and the U.S. economy, and from there make a decision. This leaves no guarantee that the situation will change in Huawei’s favor, but at least it seems that there will be a much more rational assessment.
A few months ago, we consulted Huawei about its future, and although they did not comment on what they expected from the change in the US government, they did make it clear that their fate would not depend on anyone other than themselves, leaving the door open to Google services if they become available again, but without ceasing to invest in their own mobile services ecosystem.
