U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Tuesday that there is no evidence that Chinese manufacturer Huawei can mass-produce smartphones using advanced chips.
Huawei recently started selling a phone called the Mate60 Pro, and analysts believe the phone's chips are manufactured using breakthrough technology by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (0981.HK).
"We don't have any evidence that they can mass-produce 7-nanometer (chips)," Raimondo said during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing, referring to an advanced chip.
The Commerce Department said earlier this month it was working to obtain more information to "understand the characteristics and composition" of chips that may violate trade restrictions. Raimondo told a House Science Committee hearing that she was disturbed by reports about the sophistication of Huawei smartphones.
Some Republicans believe the Commerce Department should end all technology exports to Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. Republican Congressman Darrell Issa said at the hearing that Raimondo was in China when Huawei's new phone was released.
"To say the least, you were fooled when you released a 5G phone," Issa said.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier this month that the U.S. government is trying to obtain more information about Huawei chips.
Related articles: