The FCC is considering banning Chinese labs from testing electronics before they can be sold in the US.
The commission is weighing a rule that would stop device makers from using Chinese facilities to certify gadgets for the US market. That's a bigger deal than it sounds, because almost every phone, router, and connected device goes through compliance testing before reaching shelves. The FCC's own data shows how deep the dependency runs: 82% of devices authorized for sale in the US in 2025 were tested in China first. A ban would force manufacturers to reroute certification work to labs outside China, likely in the US or allied countries.
This isn't a complaint about lab accuracy. It's part of a broader push to strip Chinese infrastructure out of the US tech supply chain, the same instinct that's already reshaped telecom equipment and chip policy. If it happens, expect slower certification timelines and higher costs, since most of the industry built its compliance pipeline around Chinese test facilities for a reason: speed and price.
Call it the FCC's version of no grading your own homework - except the homework is nearly every gadget Americans buy.