Microsoft gets green chit to conduct business with Huawei

Washington: As US President Donald Trump decided to "looked at" exempting Apple from China tariff, the US Department of Justice exempted US companies, including Microsoft, from exporting and transfer of items to Huawei and its non-US affiliates for 90 days.

The US Department of Commerce in May put Huawei on its Entity List over the so-called "national security concerns."

In a fresh statement, the US Department of Commerce has said that "The Temporary General License extension will allow carriers to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the United States who would otherwise be left in the dark.

"The Department will continue to rigorously monitor sensitive technology exports to ensure that our innovations are not harnessed by those who would threaten our national security," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed this to Fortune.

"On November 20th, the US Department of Commerce granted Microsoft's request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei. We appreciate the department's action in response to our request", the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Huawei was added to the Entity List after the Department of Justice concluded that the company is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests, including "alleged violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to violate IEEPA by providing prohibited financial services to Iran, and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation of those alleged violations of US sanctions, among other illicit activities".

Huawei said in a statement on May 20 that the US export control decision is in no one's interest and will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business.