FCC Bans Foreign-Made Routers Citing National Security Risks

The majority of American homes have foreign-made routers, but the order does not affect already-purchased devices.

Ethernet cables run from the back of a wireless router in Washington on March 21, 2019. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned all imports of foreign-made commercial routers March 23, a move that targets Chinese-linked brands found to pose national security risks.

“Today, the FCC took additional action to safeguard Americans and the communications networks we rely on,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr posted on X. “This action means that new models of foreign-produced routers will no longer be eligible for marketing or sale in the U.S.”