Exclusive | Microsoft said to stop accepting new orders from Huawei as it moves to comply with US restrictions
- The US last week placed Huawei and its affiliates on a trade blacklist that restricted the Shenzhen-based firm from buying services and parts from US companies
Microsoft has followed Google and stopped accepting new orders from Huawei Technologies after the Chinese telecoms gear and smartphone maker was added to a US blacklist that prevents it from buying American technology, according to people familiar with the matter.
The two major areas of business between Huawei and Microsoft – Windows operating systems for laptops and other content-related services – have both been suspended by the US company as it moves to comply with US government restrictions, said the people, who declined to be named as the information is private.
The Windows operating systems equipped on existing Huawei PCs will not be affected and will still be eligible for updates and security protections, according to one of the people. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s services team for the Chinese company has already moved out of its Shenzhen-based headquarters.
“This does not mean that Microsoft is not cooperating with Huawei any more. The suspension in business between the two companies could be just temporary,” said one of the people.
Neither Microsoft and Huawei immediately replied to emailed requests for comment.
The US government last week placed Huawei and its affiliates on a trade blacklist that restricted the Shenzhen-based company from buying services and parts from US companies without approval.