Last month Huawei laptops disappeared from the Australian and U.S. Microsoft stores without an official explanation.
In fact, the company remained completely quiet regarding the removal.
What was clear was that it was a reaction to Donald Trump’s executive order that banned U.S. companies from supplying equipment to overseas companies that had been declared a national security risk.
Well, now they’ve reappeared. And Microsoft has finally broken its silence.
[referenced url=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/05/huawei-laptops-quietly-disappear-from-australian-microsoft-store/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/huawei-matebook-x.jpg” title=”Huawei Laptops Quietly Disappear From Australian Microsoft Store” excerpt=”The Huawei drama continues as laptops made by the Chinese company silently disappeared from Microsoft’s online stores both globally and in Australia.”]
Both the Huawei Matebook 13 and Matebook X Pro were removed from the Australian Microsoft store back in May, leaving dead links behind:
Both laptops are now back in stock and are retailing at their original prices.
But the future of Huawei’s laptop business in Australia remains murky. Huawei was given a ninety-day exemption from the ban in order to continue supplying software and security updates to its phone customers. This reprieve doesn’t apply to Windows licenses for laptops.
Speaking to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson used extremely careful language in regards to continuing to sell Huawei laptops as of this week.
“We have been evaluating, and will continue to respond to, the many business, technical and regulatory complexities stemming from the recent addition of Huawei to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations Entity List… As a result, we are resuming the sale of existing inventory of Huawei devices at Microsoft Store.”
Use of the term “existing stock” is perhaps telling here. Microsoft certainly isn’t committing to anything beyond that. When pressed by The Verge the company reiterated, “Microsoft Store is selling existing inventory, which is compliant with current U.S. regulations.”
In the meantime, Huawei has announced the postponement of a new Windows laptop that was originally going to be revealed at CES Asia last week. The company had previously shown off its new Matebook 14 and an updated MateBook X Pro line at Mobile World Congress back in February.
Gizmodo Australia has reached out to Microsoft Australia and Huawei for local comment.
[referenced url=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/06/huawei-cancels-launch-of-new-matebook-laptop-citing-us-trade-bans/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/eiwbqn7uq0eva9h7yjdm.jpg” title=”Huawei Cancels Launch Of New MateBook Laptop, Citing US Trade Bans” excerpt=”Chinese tech giant Huawei has cancelled the planned launch of a new MateBook laptop at the CES Asia 2019 trade show in Shanghai this week due to sweeping U.S. sanctions against the company, Ars Technica reported on Wednesday.”]
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