U.S. Conducts Broad Removal of Millions of Chinese Electronic Products

On October 10, Brendan Carr, Chair of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), announced that major American e-commerce platforms have delisted millions of Chinese electronic products deemed banned or lacking FCC authorization.

The media have dubbed the enforcement action the “Clean Shopping Cart Campaign.” Carr indicated that the removed items included consumer security cameras and smartwatches from companies such as Huawei, Hikvision, ZTE, and Dahua Technology, either because they appeared on the U.S. prohibited device list or because they had not obtained required FCC approvals.

The FCC first moved in 2022 to bar sales of new devices from these firms in the U.S. Hikvision previously reported that U.S. operations account for less than 3% of its overseas revenue and under 1% of total revenue, while Dahua Technology has publicly confirmed its exit from the U.S. market.

Industry practitioners note that the millions of delisted listings mostly reflected two characteristics: product listings containing banned-brand keywords and categories subject to strict FCC oversight. Zou Tao, who manages U.S. logistics and e-commerce operations at Yilu Youni International Logistics, explained that although brands like Hikvision and Dahua have largely withdrawn from the U.S., some sellers still incorporate brand-related keywords to boost visibility, and some items were listed before complete FCC documentation was in place.

Ambiguities in FCC classification criteria—such as overlaps among smartwatch subcategories—have complicated platform enforcement. This regulatory vagueness, coupled with incomplete backend FCC verification processes on marketplaces like Amazon, has allowed uncertified listings to appear. Once flagged, Amazon typically removes listings immediately, leaving limited opportunity for remediation. Sellers must submit FCC certification within a short timeframe to avoid permanent delisting, but post‑removal certification often cannot be completed quickly enough; even expedited FCC processing generally requires about three months.

Although the primary removals so far have affected U.S. storefronts, the same product links may remain accessible on other regional marketplaces, and enforcement activity is ongoing. Regulatory tightening has evolved since 2019, when the NDAA restrictions applied only to federal procurement and did not bar civilian-market sales. The 2022 Secure Equipment Act prompted the FCC to refuse new authorizations for devices from listed companies, yet previously authorized “stock” devices and many OEM offerings continued to circulate legally. The current action extends enforcement: Carr announced an October 28 vote that, if approved, would deny authorization to any future device containing components from blacklisted firms and would revoke authorization for already approved stock devices.

Such a policy shift could have broader implications for overseas vendors. Reporting on ArcadianAI has pointed to several international security brands—Swann of Australia, U.S. brands Night Owl, Amcrest and LTS, and Canada’s Lorex—whose OEM supply chains may involve Hikvision or Dahua components.

Hikvision and Dahua occupy extensive positions across the security industry’s value chain, which spans algorithms, chips, structural parts and related components. Industry sources told Huxiu that algorithm development is concentrated among a few large security manufacturers, with Hikvision and Dahua not only producing hardware but also selling algorithmic solutions externally. The chip segment is likewise concentrated among three principal suppliers. Huawei’s HiSilicon accounts for a portion of high-end products, while Fullhan Microelectronics and Nuvoton Technologies divide much of the remaining market; products associated with the Hikvision ecosystem predominantly employ Fullhan chips.

Faced with heightened regulatory scrutiny, Chinese security vendors are exploring alternative routes to sustain overseas operations. One approach is shifting to local storage architectures in the U.S., which lower ongoing costs and better suit the multi‑camera setups common in detached homes while alleviating some concerns over cloud data privacy. Another response is to accelerate market expansion into regions such as Southeast Asia, South America and Africa, where infrastructure needs and security demand are rising; Vietnam’s market, for example, has shown rapid growth, and higher crime rates in parts of South America support steady demand for surveillance solutions.

Hikvision’s 2024 annual report indicates that developing countries now contribute over 70% of the company’s overseas revenue; in 2024 its international revenue totaled RMB 25.989 billion, representing 28.10% of consolidated sales.

This FCC enforcement sweep functions less as a strike against individual firms than as a stress test of China’s export models. The episode will force suppliers and brands to determine which strategies allow them to withstand intensified regulatory pressure and adapt to evolving global market constraints.