US temporarily allows ZTE to resume a limited number of business activities

The administration of US President Donald Trump has decided that Chinese smartphone maker ZTE may resume certain business activities. Meanwhile, the government, Senate and House of Representatives are looking at a final verdict.

Out a document According to the US Department of Commerce, ZTE will be allowed to resume a number of activities until August 1, including operating existing networks and network equipment that were already in use before the April 15, 2018 date. That is the date on which the US decided that US companies could no longer supply components to ZTE. The company can also make and receive payments again.

What will happen after August 1 is still unclear. It recently came out that the US Senate, unlike the government, is less optimistic about the deal with ZTE, which will allow the company to resume its activities. Senators from both parties oppose the deal, partly because it would jeopardize US security. Trump wants to get rid of any law to block the ZTE deal.

The Donald Trump administration previously ended the existing trade ban. The US banned US companies from supplying components to ZTE because the Chinese company had circumvented US sanctions by making deliveries to Iran. The trade ban prevented it from exporting or importing goods or services from US companies, such as Qualcomm processors.