Pentagon Extends Deadline for Contractors’ Ban on Chinese Equipment – By Mila Jasper (Defense One) / Aug 21 2020
Vendors will get additional time to comply, but the department is not seeking mass extensions, Acquisition Chief Ellen Lord told reporters.
Defense Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord confirmed Thursday the Director of National Intelligence provided a waiver to the Pentagon extending the deadline for government contractors to comply with a new supply chain rule—which requires contractors to eliminate products from a list of Chinese companies including Huawei and ZTE—for a narrow set of low-risk commodities.
Lord also said the Defense Department would not seek further waivers for the rule—a part of Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act—at this time. The governmentwide mandate bans agencies from working with contractors in business with a list of Chinese companies that represent national security threats took effect on an interim basis August 13.
DNI John Ratcliffe granted a waiver for a select category of items that are unlikely to pose an immediate threat to security. The waiver extends the deadline for this equipment until September 30. It is exclusive to the Pentagon; all other contractors working with other agencies have to comply with the mandate in full.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference Thursday, Lord clarified the intent of the waiver, which was first reported by Defense News Friday.
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