Japan’s Panasonic said it was halting business with Huawei to comply with US restrictions.
Panasonic said the ban applies to goods having 25% or more of US-originated materials, according to reports.
However, there was some confusion about Panasonic’s position when, later in the day, its Chinese website said the firm would continue to supply Huawei.
Last week the US put Huawei on a list of companies that American firms cannot trade with unless they have a licence.
The restrictions mark an escalation in US efforts to block Huawei, which it says poses a security risk.
Later on Thursday, Panasonic appeared to contradict that position with a statement posted on its China website that said the Japanese company was continuing to supply Huawei.
It was also not clear what transactions Panasonic was suspending, or why they were subject to US restrictions.
Last week the Trump administration added Huawei – the world’s second largest smartphone maker – to its “entity list” which bans the company from acquiring technology from US firms without government approval.
The firm’s founder Ren Zhengfei has downplayed the impact of US curbs on Huawei, but early signs suggest the fallout could be significant.
Google has barred Huawei from some updates to the Android operating system, meaning new designs of Huawei smartphones are set to lose access to some Google apps.
Japan’s Softbank and KDDI have both said they will not sell Huawei’s new handsets for now.
BBC
