US firms may get nod to restart Huawei sales

WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters): The US may approve licenses for companies to re-start new sales to Huawei in as little as two weeks, according to a senior US official, in a sign President Donald Trump's recent effort to ease restrictions on the Chinese company could move forward quickly.

Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker, was added to a Commerce Department list in May that prohibits US companies from supplying it with new American-made goods and services unless they obtain licenses that will likely be denied.

But late last month, after meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump announced American firms could sell products to Huawei. And in recent days, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said licenses would be issued where there is no threat to national security.