From Tom's Hardware: TP-Link is fully determined to get in the good graces of the U.S. government to break free from a total ban on newly developed routers manufactured outside of the country. Although TP-Link is incorporated in the U.S. with a headquarters in Irvine, California, the company has been under pressure from the full weight of the U.S. government because of its historical Chinese roots. However, in an effort to appeal to the Trump administration’s zeal for creating jobs and touting American manufacturing, TP-Link this week announced that it has signed a letter of intent to assemble routers in the U.S. through a crucial partnership with Key Tronic.
The ongoing saga started back in late 2024, when the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party requested that the Department of Commerce investigate TP-Link. At the time, the committee warned that “TP-Link products are also found on U.S. military bases, with the Army and Air Force Exchange and the Navy Exchange selling these devices to members of the military and their families,” and claimed TP-Link routers were sending user data back to China.
The select committee implored the Department of Commerce to use its broad powers to investigate TP-Link and take any necessary action to mitigate threats to national security. The campaign against TP-Link ramped up in mid-2025, with 17 members of Congress petitioning the Commerce Department to ban the sale of the company’s hardware in the U.S. due to alleged deep ties to the CCP. In late 2025, 23 U.S. House members and Senators again asked the Commerce Department to investigate TP-Link’s actions, including adding the company to the Covered List, investigating any threats to national security, and informing the public about potential risks associated with using the company’s devices.
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