Samsung Display gets US licenses to supply some panels to Huawei

From Sept. 15, new curbs have barred U.S. companies from supplying or serving Huawei.

Chinese tech giant Huawei, one of the biggest makers of smartphones and switching equipment, said Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 its revenue rose 9.9% in the first nine months of this year, but growth slowed due to U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) (AP)

Samsung Electronics' display unit has received licenses from U.S. authorities to continue supplying certain display panel products to Huawei Technologies, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

With U.S.-China ties at their worst in decades, Washington has been pushing governments around the world to squeeze out Huawei, arguing that the telecom giant would hand data to the Chinese government for spying. Huawei denies it spies for China.

From Sept. 15, new curbs have barred U.S. companies from supplying or serving Huawei.

Samsung Display, which counts Samsung Electronics and Apple as major customers for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screens, declined comment.

Huawei was not immediately available for comment.

It is still unclear whether Samsung Display will be able to export its OLED panels to Huawei as other firms in the supply chain making components necessary to manufacture panels would also have to get U.S. licences.

Samsung's cross-town rival LG Display said on Thursday that it and other companies, including most semiconductor companies, need to get licences to resume business with Huawei.

Last month, Intel Corp said it had received licences from U.S. authorities to continue supplying certain products to Huawei.