Huawei is target of US criminal probe into alleged theft of trade secrets from American firms including T-Mobile
- The probe was said to have been prompted by civil suits against Huawei, including a 2017 ruling that it was liable for the theft of T-Mobile robotic technology
US federal authorities in Seattle are investigating Huawei Technologies for allegedly stealing trade secrets from US companies including T-Mobile US, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The investigation was prompted by civil suits filed against the Chinese telecommunications giant, including a case in which a federal jury in Seattle in 2017 found Hauwei liable for the theft of T-Mobile’s robotic technology, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter isn’t public.
The investigation is at an advanced stage, and an indictment could come soon, according to the person familiar with the matter.
The probe was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
US lawmakers seek ban on chip sales to China’s Huawei and ZTE
Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s office in Seattle, declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Huawei. T-Mobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huawei has been under increasing pressure in the US, Europe and elsewhere amid growing concerns that Beijing could use the company’s equipment for spying, something Huawei executives have denied.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been pushing European allies to block Huawei from telecom networks amid a wider dispute over trade with China. Last week, a company employee was arrested in Poland.
The company is also mired in a US case alleging that its chief financial officer, Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, conspired to defraud banks into unwittingly clearing transactions linked to Iran in violation of US sanctions. Meng was arrested in Canada on December 1 and released on bail four weeks ago awaiting extradition hearings to the US. She is living under restrictions in her multimillion-dollar Vancouver home.
On Wednesday, US lawmakers introduced bills that would ban the sale of US chips or other components to Huawei, ZTE or other Chinese telecommunications companies that violate US sanctions or export control laws.
Additional reporting by Reuters
