Asus secures U.S. router ban exemption while TP-Link remains blocked

Asus has secured a blanket exemption from a United States ban on foreign-made consumer routers through March 2028. The ban, implemented by the Trump administration, requires manufacturers to prove they are not a national security threat and provide detailed plans to establish or expand manufacturing within the U.S.

While Asus has received this exemption, the company has not clarified whether it intends to manufacture equipment within the United States or merely for the U.S. market. A spokesperson stated that Asus has submitted the required plan to the FCC and is working with manufacturing partners to support its networking portfolio.

In contrast, TP-Link has been unable to launch its new Wi-Fi 8 routers in the U.S. market due to the ban. Although TP-Link has moved its headquarters to California, its products are currently manufactured in Vietnam. While TP-Link has opened preorders for its Archer 8 Ultra in Canada, the UK, Australia, and Germany, it remains blocked from selling new models in the U.S. Unlike Asus, Netgear, and Amazon’s Eero, TP-Link has not yet been granted a temporary waiver by the FCC.