U.S. government signs an agreement with ZTE to lift export ban [Update]

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Updated July 13, 2018: It's official! Just a day after ZTE signed its agreement with the DOC, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the ban on ZTE has officially been lifted. The past three months have undoubtedly put a damper on ZTE, but at least it's finally done with this massive setback.

ZTE's woes in the U.S. are about to come to a close. The Chinese telecommunications giant has signed an agreement with the Department of Commerce that will lift the export ban — which will allow ZTE to do business with American suppliers like Qualcomm. ZTE was issued a denial order in April after it was revealed that the manufacturer violated sanctions against North Korea and Iran.

ZTE is now required to complete a $400 million escrow payment, following which the ban will be lifted:

The three-month saga is estimated to have cost ZTE upwards of $3 billion, according to Bloomberg. The company had to appoint a new chairman and replace its senior management, and while the export ban is set to be lifted, ZTE could face further penalties from the U.S. Senate.

Harish Jonnalagadda
Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.