US has no evidence Huawei can produce advanced smartphones in large volumes: Official

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday the United States has no evidence that Chinese manufacturer Huawei can produce smartphones with advanced chips in large volume.

Huawei recently started selling a phone called the Mate 60 Pro containing a chip that analysts believe was made with a technology breakthrough by SMIC.

"We don't have any evidence that they can manufacture seven-nanometer (chips) at scale," Raimondo said at a U.S. House hearing, referencing an advanced chip.

The Commerce Department said earlier this month it is working to obtain more information "on the character and composition" of the chip that may violate trade restrictions. Raimondo said at the House Science Committee hearing she was upset by the advanced Huawei smartphone report.

Some Republicans think the Commerce Department should end all technology exports to Huawei and SMIC. Republican Representative Darrell Issa said at the hearing Raimondo was in China when the new Huawei phone was announced.

"You were bushwhacked to say the least by the launch of a 5G phone," Issa said.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier this month the U.S. government is trying to get more information about the Huawei chip.