Apple Watch Import Ban Takes Effect After Biden Admin Declines to Veto

Apple has paused the sale of its high-end Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches but has appealed the ban.

Apple watches are seen on display at the Apple Store in Grand Central Station in New York City, on Dec. 18, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Biden administration declined to veto an import ban on certain Apple smartwatches involved in a health care patent infringement case, allowing the ban to take effect.

In October, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) upheld a ruling in favor of two Irvine, California-based companies, Masimo Corp. and Cercacor Laboratories, which sued Apple in 2021 over smartwatches featuring a blood oxygen sensor that can read the wearer’s pulse.