ZTE has filed an application with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security in hopes that the government will suspend its ban against the company.
Last month, the Commerce Department banned U.S. companies from selling parts or software to ZTE for a period of seven years. The government put the ban place because ZTE was caught misrepresenting the actions it took after settling with the government for an earlier infraction (exporting technology to Iran).
ZTE has called the ban unfair and unreasonable, suggesting it could put the company out of business. The ban prevents companies such as Qualcomm from supplying ZTE with processors and also prevents companies such as Google from licensing the Android operating system to ZTE.
Last week, a U.S. trade delegation met with Chinese trade officials who asked the U.S. to reassess its actions against ZTE. The U.S. delegates said they would speak with President Donald Trump about the matter.
