FCC emerges as unlikely spearhead of Trump's China policy
The FCC, under Brendan Carr, has become the Trump administration's most aggressive tool against Chinese technology, prompting Beijing's retaliation.
The Federal Communications Commission, historically known for spectrum auctions and broadcast licensing, has become the Trump administration's most aggressive instrument in its economic confrontation with China.
Under Chairman Brendan Carr, a vocal China hawk, the agency has over the past nine months barred imports of Chinese-made drones, routers, inverters, and robots. It has also initiated proceedings to block Chinese labs from certifying electronic devices for the U.S. market and is drafting a ban on new Chinese data center components, aiming to protect infrastructure critical to the AI boom.
The moves are designed to push Chinese equipment out of U.S. supply chains and encourage domestic manufacturing, with the White House's blessing. Officials say the FCC has deliberately avoided naming China in its rules, instead targeting technologies and granting exemptions to many non-Chinese suppliers, a low-key approach intended to avoid inflaming bilateral ties.
Beijing has now pushed back. On Wednesday, China announced tighter export controls on drones and related technology bound for the U.S. and sanctioned an American testing and certification firm, responding to the FCC's actions and other U.S. trade measures. This follows reported Chinese efforts to engage the FCC directly, which were rebuffed.
The escalation comes ahead of a planned Trump-Xi meeting in September, where the two leaders are expected to discuss stabilizing relations. Despite the diplomatic calendar, national security experts predict the U.S. pressure campaign will continue, citing administration frustration with Chinese compliance on prior agreements.
Analysts say the FCC has become the "center of gravity" for competitive actions against China in this term, a role that contrasts with the administration's broader, more cautious approach to trade. Carr has framed the work as an effort to re-industrialize America, aligning it with other administration priorities and easing business opposition by allowing a gradual transition away from Chinese suppliers.
A U.S. official defended the actions as "global in scope and not targeted against any specific country," aimed at promoting American re-industrialization and national security.