Timeline of Canada’s decision to bar Huawei, ZTE from 5G networks

Dec. 31, 2027: All new 4G equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE will be prohibited and all existing equipment must be ripped out.

Key dates leading up to this decision:

Feb. 13, 2018: FBI Director Chris Wray warns against buying Huawei and ZTE phones.

Aug. 23, 2018: Australia says it won’t allow Huawei or ZTE to be part of the 5G rollout in that country.

Aug. 23, 2018: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada relies on its own security agencies for advice on the security of its telecommunications networks.

Oct. 2018: U.S. senators ask Canada to consider banning Huawei from its 5G rollout.

Jan. 18, 2019: China says a Canadian ban on Huawei’s 5G tech will trigger “repercussions.”

Feb. 21, 2019: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says countries using Huawei tech pose a risk to the U.S.

May 15, 2019: U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring Huawei from doing business with any organization operating within the United States.

June 2019: Trump lifts some restrictions on Huawei as part of a bid to restart trade talks with China.

July 2019: Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale tells The Canadian Press Canada needs more information from the U.S. about the potential security threat from Huawei, and warns a decision is not likely before the federal election in the fall of 2019.

August 2019: U.S. bans government agencies and departments from doing business with Huawei, ZTE and three other Chinese firms.

March 28, 2019: British watchdog warns that Huawei products represent “significantly increased risk.”

July 2020: The United Kingdom bars Huawei from 5G networks with a phase-out date set for 2027. The date is moved up to 2021 the following fall.

November 2020: Canada’s Parliament passes a Conservative motion asking the government to ban Huawei within a month. The Liberals vote against the non-binding motion, but opposition parties vote in favour.

September 2021: Trudeau says a Huawei decision is coming “soon” following another federal election where he was returned as the leader of a second minority government.

May 18, 2022: China announces it is lifting a ban on Canadian canola imports that had been in place for three years.

May 19, 2022: Canada announces prohibition of Huawei and ZTE from Canada’s 5G networks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Timeline of Canada’s decision to bar Huawei, ZTE from 5G networks

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