U.S. revokes some export licenses for firms supplying China's Huawei

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. on Tuesday said it had revoked some licenses that allow companies to ship goods, such as chips, to the sanctioned Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies.

Some companies were notified on Tuesday that their licenses were revoked effective immediately, according to one person familiar with the matter.

The move comes after the release last month of Huawei's first AI-enabled laptop, the MateBook X Pro, powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 9 processor.

The laptop launch drew fire from Republican lawmakers who said it suggested to them that the Commerce Department had given the green light to Intel to sell the chip to Huawei.

"We have revoked certain licenses for exports to Huawei," the Commerce Department said in a statement, declining to specify which ones it had withdrawn.

The move, first reported by Reuters, comes after concerted pressure by Republican China hawks in Congress who have been urging the Biden administration to take tougher action to thwart Huawei.

"This action will bolster U.S. national security, protect American ingenuity, and diminish Communist China's ability to advance its technology," Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik said in a statement.

Depending on which licenses were revoked, the move could also hurt Huawei, which still relies on Intel chips to power its laptops, and could hurt U.S. suppliers that do business with the company.

A spokesperson for Intel declined to comment. Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Huawei was placed on a U.S. trade restriction list in 2019 amid fears it could spy on Americans, part of a broader effort to handicap China's ability to bolster its military. Being added to the list means the company's suppliers have