‘Huawei may again purchase screens from Samsung’

The Chinese Huawei is again allowed to buy displays for smartphones from the South Korean Samsung, according to ZDNet. That was no longer allowed due to new restrictions that took effect last month, but Samsung has received a license according to the site.

Huawei with Samsung screen:
P20 Pro from 2018

That license is needed to trade with Huawei, because the US government has imposed a trade ban on US companies to trade with the Chinese company. This also includes companies that use chips with American technology, such as the Taiwanese TSMC and the South Korean Samsung. Samsung screens contain ICs with American technology.

Samsung is now allowed to supply OLED panels again, because screens do not carry data, according to ZDNet. That is why there is no risk of espionage with screens and the US government has no objection to trading with Huawei.

Intel was previously licensed to continue trading with Huawei, while LG now also wants a license. Huawei has purchased panels from Samsung for smartphones in recent years, but Huawei has also bought them from the Chinese BOE in the past. The United States’ trade ban has been in place since May last year, while the new restrictions have been in place since mid-September. The most important new limitation is that TSMC is no longer allowed to supply the Kirin-socs to Huawei. Those socs are in almost all smartphones from the manufacturer.