# US Federal Communications Commission Moves to Bar All Chinese Labs From Testing Electronics Sold in America

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on October 29 on a rule taking effect in December 2028, which would affect most of the testing that now happens in China.

- Published: 2026-10-10T05:16:36.849Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-10-10/us-federal-communications-commission-moves-to-bar-all-chines
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: tech
- Sources: [Global Times](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202610/1371820.shtml), [Xinhua](https://english.news.cn/20261010/54694d03a83c4a739c7980b22d8626af/c.html)

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on October 29 on a proposal to bar all laboratories in China from testing smartphones, cameras, computers and other electronic devices for the US market, [Reuters reported via Devdiscourse](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3988595-us-fcc-to-vote-to-ban-all-chinese-labs-from-testing-us-electronics). The rule would apply to test labs and certification bodies in countries that do not grant US labs equal treatment. It would take effect in December 2028. In 2025 the FCC barred only labs owned or controlled by the Chinese state, but the agency says a large majority of China-based labs still test US electronics. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in 2025 that 82% of electronics were tested in China.

Chinese state media focused on the cost to industry. [Global Times quoted analysts](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202610/1371820.shtml) as saying the plan could disrupt global electronics supply chains and raise costs. China's Ministry of Commerce responded to an earlier round of FCC restrictions in May. [In its Chinese-language statement](https://www.news.cn/world/20260501/c9138fe7a3eb45ac885857be82f4f662/c.html), the ministry accused the agency of "abandoning the principle of technological neutrality" and "overstretching the concept of national security." It also warned that China would "take necessary measures" if Washington went ahead. US technology companies have also [opposed the ban](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/dont-ban-test-labs-in-china-tech-industry-says/).

On the same day, Beijing published new guidelines on developing "new quality productive forces," [Xinhua reported](https://english.news.cn/20261010/54694d03a83c4a739c7980b22d8626af/c.html). That is Beijing's term for its push into advanced manufacturing and technology. China is responding to US measures by building more of its own capacity.

## What this means

The measure works through certification. A device cannot be sold legally in the United States without FCC authorization, so moving testing out of China forces brands to pay for new lab capacity in the United States or allied countries, or to redesign their approval process. Device makers and contract manufacturers in China bear the cost first, along with US importers of low-margin electronics. Test-lab operators in the United States, Europe, Japan and Taiwan gain business. The two-year delay shows that the FCC knows labs outside China cannot handle the volume yet. The consensus treats this as a symbolic trade action. It also builds a lasting rule for which countries' testing the United States accepts, and other governments can copy it. The desk's read is that the vote passes, that Beijing responds with its own certification or data-security limits on US firms within months, and that test capacity in Southeast Asia and India expands before 2028. The read is wrong if the FCC delays the vote or adds broad exemptions under pressure from US industry.

## What to watch

- The October 29 vote and any exemptions in the final rule. Broad exemptions would mean US industry pressure has reduced the policy.
- Any Chinese Ministry of Commerce countermeasure that names US testing or certification firms. Retaliation in kind would extend the split into product standards.
- Announcements of new test-lab capacity in Vietnam, India or Malaysia. They would show where testing moves when it leaves China.