In a shocking move, the Federal Communications Commission just banned the sale of any new Wi-Fi routers that are not US-made, citing national security.

Late on Monday afternoon, the FCC announced the order, based on a White House determination that foreign-made routers introduce “supply chain vulnerabilities” that hackers and cyberspies can exploit. Specifically, the commission updated its “covered list,” which acts as a blacklist of telecom equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security. It now includes “all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries.”

However, the FCC stresses, “This action does not affect any previously purchased consumer-grade routers. Consumers can continue to use any router they have already lawfully purchased or acquired.”

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“Nor does it prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market router models approved previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process,” the commission adds.

Still, the order blocks vendors from selling any new Wi-Fi routers that are manufactured, developed, or designed outside the US in a major way. Hence, a new Wi-Fi router designed in the US, but produced abroad, or vice versa, would be banned.

"This action means that new models of foreign-produced routers will no longer be eligible for marketing or sale in the US," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr writes on X.

The FCC is implementing the ban through its equipment authorization process, which certifies routers, smartphones, and video game consoles for sale in the US. “New devices on the Covered List, such as foreign-made consumer-grade routers, are prohibited from receiving FCC authorization and are therefore prohibited from being imported for use or sale in the US," it says.

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The order is shocking because it goes beyond merely banning routers from TP-Link, a Chinese-affiliated brand that US officials claim poses a security risk. The FCC issued today's order citing a “national security determination” issued by the Trump administration on Friday. The four-page document says: “Routers in the United States must have trusted supply chains so we are not providing foreign actors with potential built-in backdoors to American homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and emergency services.”

The document doesn't mention specific evidence of a deliberate backdoor in any existing products. Still, it cites how hackers, including Chinese state-sponsored groups, have exploited vulnerabilities in consumer-grade routers—which are predominantly manufactured in foreign countries—to host their malicious activities. "Foreign-made routers were also involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks targeting vital US infrastructure," says the FCC, alluding to major telecommunication hacks suspected to have come from China.

The resulting ban could ensnare all the major router providers, including US-based Netgear, since many routers are made Taiwan and Vietnam, along with China. However, the FCC says router makers can secure an exemption from the Pentagon or the Department of Homeland Security. The application calls for the vendor to justify why the product isn’t made in the US, along with a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States for the router for which the applicant is seeking Conditional Approval.”

Despite the wide-reaching ban, Netgear told us: "We commend the Administration and the FCC for their action toward a safer digital future for Americans. Home routers and mesh systems are critical to national security and consumer protection, and today’s decision is a step forward. As a US-founded and headquartered company with a legacy of American innovation, Netgear has long invested in security‑first design, transparent practices, and adherence to government regulations, and we will continue to do so." The company also emphasized it doesn't manufacture in China.

Meanwhile, TP-Link told PCMag that "virtually all routers are made outside the United States, including those produced by US-based companies like TP-Link, which manufactures its products in Vietnam. It appears that the entire router industry will be impacted by the FCC’s announcement concerning new devices not previously authorized by the FCC. TP-Link is confident in the security of our supply chain and we welcome this evaluation of the entire industry."

In the meantime, the FCC has published a dedicated FAQ about the order. The agency did the same for foreign-made drones late last year.