Asus Granted US Router Ban Exemption Without Public Commitment to Domestic Manufacturing
The United States recently banned foreign-made consumer routers unless manufacturers could prove they posed no national security risk and submitted a plan for U.S. manufacturing. Asus has received an exemption, allowing it to sell its first Wi-Fi 8 routers in the country by September 9th, but has not publicly committed to establishing domestic production facilities. Asus initially stated that it had submitted a required plan to the FCC and was working with trusted partners for U.S.-based networking products. However, when asked directly whether this included manufacturing within the United States or just equipment intended for sale there, Asus did not provide clarification over 12 days of follow-up. The exemption appears more focused on where routers are made rather than security concerns. The FCC has granted Asus a blanket exemption through March 2028 without detailed scrutiny. Both Asus and Netgear have used these exemptions as marketing tools to position themselves as trusted providers, though the terms they use lack official government backing.
Topics: FCC exemption router ban US manufacturing requirements