TP-Link signs deal to assemble routers in Mississippi after import ban

TP-Link has signed a letter of intent with manufacturer Key Tronic to assemble routers in the United States following a ban on imports of foreign-made consumer routers.

Assembly could begin at a Mississippi production line as early as early 2027, pending regulatory approval, TP-Link said. Wi-Fi 8 routers are expected to be among the first products assembled there.

TP-Link said the agreement was 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 would still need to source components from outside the United States.

“Many [components] are just not available from a domestic source, and this is not a TP-Link issue,” TP-Link 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 United States as a security risk and banned imports. Retailers remained permitted to sell units already on their shelves.

The FCC said in its notice that companies could apply for waivers only if they planned to move at least some manufacturing to the United States. Several companies have received waivers, but TP-Link is not currently among them.

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