Asus secures US router ban exemption without revealing manufacturing plans
The US banned foreign-made consumer routers unless manufacturers establish US production. Asus has now received an exemption but has not disclosed any US manufacturing plans.
The United States implemented a ban on all future foreign-made consumer routers this spring, requiring manufacturers to either convince the US government they posed no national security threat or submit a detailed plan to establish or expand manufacturing within the US.
Asus has now secured an exemption from this ban, effective September 9th, allowing the company to bring its latest Wi-Fi 6E routers to the market. However, Asus has not publicly announced any plans to shift manufacturing to the United States.
When asked by The Verge, an Asus spokesperson, JJ Guerre, declined to confirm whether the company had submitted a US manufacturing plan. The company has not provided details on the specifics of its exemption.
This exemption allows Asus to continue selling its products in the US without adhering to the new domestic production requirements. The lack of transparency regarding manufacturing plans may raise questions for other companies seeking similar exemptions.