The U.S. boycott against Huawei has extended from communications to other hi-tech sectors, as 11 senators called for a ban on the company's PV inverters on Feb. 25.
The call was contained in a joint statement issued by the senators, including Marco Rubio (R) and John Comyn (D), who urged Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, and Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Home Security, to forbid use of Huawei products in national energy infrastructural projects, so as to safeguard the critical power system. They claimed that Huawei has posed a threat on the safety of the nation's energy infrastructure.
As the world's leading PV inverter manufacturer, Huawei is reportedly scrambling to foray into the U.S. residential and commercial markets.
The statement points to the risk of hacker attack on the nation's massive PV power system, as well as PV power devices owned by homeowners, schools, and enterprises.
Other signatories of the statement are Richard Burr (R), Mark Warner (D), Jim Risch (R), Dianne Feinstein (D), Tom Cotton (R), Angus King (maverick), Susan Collins (R), Ben Sasse (R), and Mitt Romney (R).
Concern over grid safety would complicate the Sino-U.S. dispute in the hi-tech sector, as the U.S. complains of multiple Chinese practices, including technology theft, mandatory technology transfer, violation of U.S. sanction against Iran, and theft of trade secrets, such as that of T-Mobile, on top of espionage via Huawei telecom equipment. China has categorically denied the charges.
The statement shows that whatever the outcome of the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade talk, the U.S. will continue blocking China-made hi-tech products, including 5G equipment reported CNBC.
Huawei supplies a wide range of PV inverters, for use in residences, businesses, and utilities. It also produces solar panels and provides monitoring software and systems for PV power stations. Major markets include Europe and Saudi Arabia.
(First photo courtesy of Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine via Flickr CC0 1.0)