The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on 29 October to bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices, including smartphones, cameras and computers, for use in the United States, expanding its previous restrictions targeting Beijing.

The FCC said on Wednesday it would prohibit testing laboratories and certification bodies in countries such as China that deny reciprocal treatment to US-based testing facilities.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said 82% of electronic devices were tested in China in 2025, despite the lack of a reciprocal agreement between the two countries.

The proposed restrictions are scheduled to take effect in December 2028.

In 2025, the FCC banned US electronics testing by laboratories owned or controlled by the Chinese government, barring several dozen facilities. However, the agency said this year that a substantial majority of China-based laboratories continued to test US electronics.

“Less than 4% of all electronic devices are tested in labs located inside the US,” Carr said, adding that the FCC would “insist on fair and reciprocal treatment in international commerce”.

Separately, the FCC is adopting a streamlined approval process for devices tested in US laboratories or facilities in countries that do not pose national security risks.

The move is the latest in a series of US measures targeting China over technology and equipment concerns.

In December, the FCC banned imports of all new models of Chinese drones. It has also barred imports of new models of Chinese-made consumer routers, which connect computers, phones and smart devices to the internet.

The agency has previously barred certain Chinese companies from providing telecommunications services in the US over national security concerns.