US bans import of foreign routers due to security concerns

While there are several US brands involved in networking, most of them are manufactured overseas or, in the best-case scenario, in Mexico. The list of US brands currently manufacturing their routers in Mexico includes Cisco, Netgear, and Arris/Motorola. Even the infamous Chinese brand TP-Link is making its routers aimed at the US market in Mexico. However, while the only US brand now making its network equipment in the US is Starlink for now, things might change due to the latest decision of the Federal Communications Commission.

Without further ado, this is the essential part of yesterday's fact sheet published by the FCC: "The Executive Branch determination noted that foreign-produced routers (1) introduce “a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense” and (2) pose “a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and directly harm U.S. persons.”" 

As a consequence, all foreign-made routers are now forbidden for sale in the US and new models will need to pass through the required approval procedures before being imported. Obviously, those who are currently using foreign-made routers can continue to do so, although the use of such devices, even in households, is now considered a security risk.

At the end of 2025, the US banned foreign-made drones due to similar reasons. Leaving aside the Mexico-made brands mentioned above, most Internet routers used in the US by households are being made in Taiwan or China.