US Bans New Foreign-Made Routers

The FCC just slammed the door on new foreign-made routers.

The move designates consumer-grade network routers manufactured outside the United States as a security risk, placing any new model on a so-called Covered List. In plain terms, if a brand doesn’t build the latest models domestically, its new offerings can’t be sold as compliant consumer routers in the U.S. The policy, announced as part of a broader national-security push, also seals a long-standing tension between affordable, globally sourced hardware and strategic reliability for critical infrastructure.

The rule is tied to the White House’s 2025 national-security strategy, which frames “never being dependent on any outside power for core components” as essential to defense and the economy. That rhetoric now translates into a concrete gate: new foreign-made router models will face a roadblock to market entry unless a company secures conditional approval from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security. To qualify for such an exemption, firms must commit to shifting at least some manufacturing back to the United States. In practice, that’s a heavy lift for consumer-brand routers, since most mass-market models are produced overseas.

For now, the FCC says existing, already-certified routers can continue to be used and retailers can continue to sell models that were approved under prior policies. The big caveat is timing: devices on the Covered List can keep receiving updates through March 1, 2027, with the potential for that deadline to be extended. In other words, today’s routers won’t instantly disappear, but tomorrow’s new options likely will.

Industry watchers expect a bumpy transition. Few if any major consumer-router brands run full-scale manufacturing in the U.S., and shifting supply chains to domestic sites involves substantial costs, longer prototyping cycles, and revalidation of security updates. The regulatory posture also creates a potential two-track market: a shrinking pool of new foreign-made routers, alongside a patchwork of devices that either survive on older firmware or hinge on conditional approvals that could take months to resolve. Companies with overseas factories will be forced to decide whether the capital and risk of retooling are worth it, while retailers must recalibrate inventory and warranty support around an evolving regulatory landscape.

For consumers, the practical impact is immediate but nuanced. If you’re shopping now, your options for “the latest and greatest” models may be narrower, and price dynamics could shift as supply tightens and production costs rise. Security-conscious buyers may prefer devices with robust, long-term software support—yet those are precisely the traits that will be shaped by whether manufacturers can or will move production stateside. And there’s a host of questions still to be resolved: which models will win conditional approvals, how long such approvals last, and what happens to ongoing firmware maintenance if a device is effectively grandfathered out of new entrants.

Two concrete practitioner insights stand out. First, expect a more constrained new-model market in the near term. The policy creates a significant disincentive for launching foreign-made router lines, which means buyers may see fewer fresh options year to year, and device longevity will become a bigger factor in value. Second, the path to relief—conditional approvals—depends on a company’s willingness and ability to retool manufacturing domestically or nearshore. That willingness isn’t guaranteed, and the timetable is murky, which means the signals on future devices are less certain than in a normal market cycle. Finally, look for a growing emphasis on bundled security features and firmware transparency in the devices that remain, as consumers and regulators push for observable, verifiable protections.

What should you do now? If you’re generally comfortable with your current router, you can keep using it until 2027, but start noting the brands and models that disappear from shelves and watch for official updates on conditional approvals. If you must buy in the near term, prioritize devices with clear, long-term support commitments and be prepared for a shifting lineup as the market adjusts to the new regime.

Verdict: Wait for clarity on conditional approvals and the domestic-manufacturing path for major brands; buy only if you truly need a new device now and you’re comfortable with the current, potentially longer-term update window for a model you select.