TP-Link to Assemble Routers in Mississippi After U.S. Import Ban

The company said Wi-Fi 8 routers are expected to be among the first TP-Link products that Key Tronic assembles once the line is running. TP-Link described the agreement as 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."

TP-Link will still have 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 U.S. as a security risk and banned their imports. Retailers were still allowed to sell units already on shelves. The FCC said companies could apply for a waiver, but only if they planned to move at least some manufacturing to the U.S. Several companies have received waivers, though TP-Link is not currently one of them.