US reaches deal with China’s ZTE, allowing it to get back into business
Washington — US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that Washington has reached a deal with ZTE that would reverse a ban on buying parts from US suppliers, allowing China’s number two telecommunications equipment maker to get back into business. Under the deal, ZTE will change its board and management within 30 days, pay a $1bn fine, put $400m in escrow, and retain a new US-selected compliance team, Ross told CNBC, adding that he did not think the arrangement would have any effect on tariff talks with China. "We think this settlement, which brought the company, a $17bn company, to its knees, more or less put them out of business ... should serve as a very strong deterrent not only for them but for other potential bad actors," Ross said. The deal also includes a suspended 10-year ban on buying US components that could be activated by any violations, people familiar with the arrangement told Reuters. Reuters reported exclusively on Tuesday that ZTE had signed a preliminary...
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