Huawei Sanctions are Bad for US Economy

Strategy Analytics said that the new U.S. Government policy against Huawei, announced in May, threatens U.S. semiconductor industry exports, innovation, and global leadership. Their analysis details the short-term and longer-term effects of the new policy on U.S. semiconductor firms, global wireless and international trade overall.

“The new trade policy aimed against Huawei seems to be motivated by U.S. domestic politics rather than a clear understanding of international trade in the technology sector. The U.S. has legitimate differences with China, but the damage to the U.S. semiconductors industry from this new policy would start at $7 billion in lost sales, and put the industry’s future competitiveness at risk through reduced R&D spending, far outweighing any benefits to the U.S.,“ said author of the report Christopher Taylor.

“Semiconductor suppliers Broadcom, Intel, Micron, Skyworks, and Qualcomm and many others will be affected. The U.S. semiconductor industry employs about 250,000, and a loss of U.S. semiconductor leadership would put these jobs at risk, with a multiplier effect extending to three or four times as many U.S. jobs. Foreign semiconductor firms in the supply chain using U.S. technology including MediaTek and the foundry TSMC are also barred from selling to Huawei under the policy, which will affect the entire electronics industry,“ added Stephen Entwistle, VP of Strategic Technologies at Strategy Analytics.