FCC Begins Proceedings to Ban 7 Chinese Labs From Certifying US Electronics

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Sep 10, 2025 - 09:54 Updated: Sep 9, 2025 - 21:06
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FCC Begins Proceedings to Ban 7 Chinese Labs From Certifying US Electronics

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Sept. 8 that it has launched proceedings to revoke the accreditation of seven China-based test labs that certify electronic devices for use in the United States.

The FCC determined that the seven test labs pose national security risks to the United States because they are owned or controlled by the Chinese communist regime, according to an agency statement.
The agency also stated that it will not renew recognition for four other Chinese labs whose accreditation has expired since the agency adopted new rules in May.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the move marks an important step toward restoring trust in the agency’s equipment authorization process and eliminating security threats.

“President [Donald] Trump is leading the charge to reshore America’s industrial capacity and safeguard critical supply chains from foreign adversary nations. Today’s FCC action on ‘Bad Labs’ will continue to do just that,” Carr said. “Foreign adversary governments should not own and control the labs that test the devices the FCC certifies as safe for the U.S. market.”
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The proceedings follow the agency’s adoption of new rules in May barring what it deems to be “bad labs,” particularly those linked to the Chinese regime, from participating in the oversight of the U.S. wireless equipment authorization process.

All electronic devices that emit radio frequencies require authorization, which involves using private test labs, certification bodies, and accreditation bodies to test and certify that the devices comply with FCC rules.

The FCC says this involves tens of thousands of devices every year, including smart devices, baby monitors, computers, network gear, and others.

The new rules prohibit the participation of any establishment owned, controlled, or directed by an entity that poses a national security risk.

Before the new rules, recognition for accreditation was granted to labs solely based on their technical competence, without considering their trustworthiness, the FCC said.

“A number of labs potentially have deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” including entities with ties to Chinese state-owned enterprises and the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army, the FCC said in a May 22 statement.

Some of the labs are Chinese state actors themselves, the FCC said.

“These labs have tested thousands of devices bound for the U.S. market over the last several years,” the agency stated.

Carr said during a May 22 meeting that about 75 percent of electronics are tested by labs in China.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington has denounced the FCC’s move and accused the U.S. government of “over-stretching the concept of national security.”

Catherine Yang and Reuters contributed to this report.
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