TP-Link moves to assemble routers in the US following an import ban

The company says routers could start rolling off a domestic production line as soon as early 2027.

TP-Link

TP-Link is looking to put routers together in the US after the government banned new foreign-made units from being sold domestically. The company has signed a letter of intent with manufacturer Key Tronic and, pending approval from regulators, TP-Link says stateside assembly of its routers could start at a Mississippi production line as soon as early 2027.

Once things are up and running, Wi-Fi 8 routers are expected to be among the first TP-Link products that Key Tronic assembles. TP-Link claims that the agreement is part of its "long-term effort to accelerate US investment in high-tech manufacturing and job creation, designing and assembling next-generation products for American consumers here on American soil."

The company said it will still have to source components from outside the US. "Many [components] are just not available from a domestic source, and this is not a TP-Link issue," TP-Link's corporate affairs officer Steve Kovsky told PC Mag. "This is an issue for all manufacturers that are trying to onshore manufacturing."

In March, the Federal Communications Commission designated all consumer routers made outside the US as a security risk and banned imports. Retailers were still allowed to sell units that they already had on shelves. In its notice, the FCC said companies could apply for a waiver, but only if they planned to move at least some manufacturing to the US. Several companies have received waivers, though TP-Link is not currently one of them.