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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a ban on foreign-made consumer Wi-Fi routers, according to a fact sheet published Monday.
Under the new rule, “all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries” are prohibited from being sold in the United States. Manufacturers can apply for exemptions, but no Conditional Approvals have been granted so far, according to the FCC’s website.
This move represents a significant shift for the US router market, as the majority of devices sold domestically—including brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear—are at least partially manufactured abroad.
According to the FCC’s FAQs, a router will be classified as foreign-made if “any major stage of the process through which the device is made—including manufacturing, assembly, design, or development—occurs outside the United States.” The ban does not impact routers previously authorized by the FCC.
“I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced routers, which were found to pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List,” stated FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
Consumers do not need to replace existing routers, as the ban only applies to new purchases of devices that have not already been authorized by the FCC.
TP-Link has faced scrutiny from the US government for over a year due to its connections to China, with several US agencies reportedly supporting a ban as of late 2025. However, the FCC’s new action extends well beyond TP-Link, affecting nearly all foreign-made router brands.
Representatives from FCC, TP-Link, Asus, D-Link, Eero, Netgear, and Razer were contacted for comment, but no immediate responses were provided. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.
