Qualcomm and Huawei sign multi-year patent agreement

Qualcomm and Huawei have entered into a new multi-year patent agreement, marking a significant shift in the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China. Under the terms of the deal, Qualcomm will pay licensing fees to Huawei, and in a notable reversal, Qualcomm will also purchase patents from Huawei for the first time.

The agreement follows years of legal friction, including a 2020 settlement where Huawei paid approximately $1.8 billion to resolve disputes regarding mobile and network patents. This new arrangement suggests a pragmatic economic alignment between the two tech giants despite broader geopolitical sanctions aimed at limiting Chinese technology access.