The FCC has prohibited the import of consumer routers manufactured outside the United States, effectively blocking the majority of networking devices from entering the American market. The danger of Chinese hackers to everyday Americans has caused the government to label foreign-made routers an “unacceptable risk” to the security of the nation.
The FCC has announced a sweeping ban on foreign-made consumer routers, claiming these devices pose significant national security threats to the United States. The decision follows a similar December action when the FCC banned future drones manufactured in foreign countries from US import unless manufacturers secure special exemptions.
By adding all foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, the FCC will no longer authorize their radios, which prevents new devices from being imported into the country. The agency justified the action by stating these products represent “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”
Consumers who currently own Wi-Fi or wired routers can continue using their existing devices without interruption. Additionally, companies that have already received FCC radio authorization for specific foreign-made products retain the ability to continue importing those particular models. However, since virtually all consumer routers are manufactured outside the United States, the ban effectively blocks the vast majority of future consumer networking equipment from entering the American market.
Router manufacturers now face two options to continue selling in the US market. They can either secure conditional approval allowing them to obtain clearance for new products while demonstrating plans to establish domestic manufacturing operations, or they can choose to exit the US market entirely. Dronemaker DJI already made the latter decision following the foreign drone ban.
The FCC released a National Security Determination supporting its decision, claiming that “Allowing routers produced abroad to dominate the U.S. market creates unacceptable economic, national security, and cybersecurity risks.” The determination also stated that “routers produced abroad were directly implicated in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks which targeted critical American communications, energy, transportation, and water infrastructure.”
The agency emphasized the critical importance of routers to American infrastructure, stating “Given the criticality of routers to the successful functioning of our nation’s economy and defense, the United States can no longer depend on foreign nations for router manufacturing.”
Router vulnerabilities have indeed proliferated over the years, making these devices attractive targets for hackers and botnets. TP-Link, a China-founded company, currently dominates the US consumer router market. US authorities had previously considered implementing a specific ban targeting TP-Link due to national security concerns and the company’s market dominance.
TP-Link has undertaken several measures to distance itself from China, including splitting from its Chinese parent entity in 2022, establishing global headquarters in California in 2024, and filing a lawsuit against Netgear in 2025 for suggesting Chinese government infiltration of TP-Link operations.
Questions remain about whether domestic production alone would enhance router security. During the Volt Typhoon hack, Chinese state-sponsored attackers primarily targeted Cisco and Netgear routers, both products designed by American companies, according to the Department of Justice. These routers became vulnerable because the US manufacturers had discontinued the models and stopped providing security updates for the targeted devices.
The FCC’s Covered List specifically targets consumer-grade routers as defined in NIST Internal Report 8425A, which refers to devices “intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer.” This definition provides slightly narrower scope than a complete ban on all router production occurring in foreign countries.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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