(Reuters) – US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said yesterday that Washington has reached a deal with ZTE Corp that would reverse a ban on buying parts from US suppliers, allowing China’s No. 2 telecommunications equipment maker to get back into business.
Under the deal, ZTE will change its board and management within 30 days, pay a $1 billion fine, put $400 million in escrow and retain a new US-selected compliance team, Mr Ross told CNBC.
He added that he did not think the arrangement would have any effect on tariff talks with China.
“We think this settlement, which brought the company, a $17 billion company, to its knees, more or less put them out of business … should serve as a very strong deterrent not only for them but for other potential bad actors,” Mr Ross told CNBC.
The deal also includes a suspended 10-year ban on buying US components that could be activated by any violations, people familiar with the arrangement told Reuters.
Reuters reported exclusively on Tuesday that ZTE had signed a preliminary agreement with the US Commerce Department, along with the fine and other terms.
