Huawei Revenue Growth Wilts Under 'intense Pressure'

Huawei's revenue growth slowed significantly in the first nine months of 2020, the Chinese telecom giant said Friday, citing "intense pressure" on operations during the coronavirus and as the US moves to cut off its access to vital components.

Huawei, the leading global supplier of telecoms networking equipment and a top smartphone producer, said it grossed 671.3 billion yuan (US$100.7 billion) in revenue in January-September, up 9.9 percent year-on-year.

That's down from 24.4 percent growth over the same period last year, while its profit margin fell to 8.0 percent from 8.7 percent last year.

Washington views Huawei, founded in 1987 by former People's Liberation Army engineer Ren Zhengfei, as a Chinese espionage threat and has lobbied allies to shun its gear while attempting to block its access to global semiconductor supplies.

"As the world grapples with Covid-19, Huawei's global supply chain was put under intense pressure and its production and operations saw increasing difficulties," the company said.

It vowed to "do its best to find solutions, to survive and forge ahead".

The brief announcement made no direct reference to the US pressure, nor did it include a performance breakdown for its various segments, such as smartphone sales. Privately held Huawei provides such details only for half-year and full-year earnings.

Bad news has been mounting for Huawei, which the United States alleges is controlled by Beijing.

Washington fears Huawei's equipment could contain security holes that China could use for spying but the firm and Beijing reject the claim, saying the US has never provided any evidence.

Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the lucrative US market and pressured allies to do the same.

Britain in July banned mobile providers from using Huawei equipment in their new 5G networks, giving British companies until 2027 to rip out any existing hardware.

France has also placed heavy restrictions on use of Huawei gear and Sweden this week banned thje company and Chinese rival ZTE from its own 5G network for security reasons. (AFP)