Wi‑Fi router sourcing shifts

Americans buying a new Wi‑Fi router are increasingly getting hardware sourced from Vietnam, Mexico, or Thailand, not China. (pcmag.com) A Global Electronics Association report released April 9 found China’s share of United States router imports by unit fell from 24.4% in 2019 to about 4% in 2025. Vietnam led in 2025 with a 47% share, while Mexico was second at 12.7%. (electronics.org) (pcmag.com) By import value, the shift was even sharper: Chinese-origin shipments were just 1.1% of total United States router import value in 2025, according to the same report. The group said production had already spread to Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and Mexico before Washington moved this year against foreign-made consumer routers. (electronics.org) (pcmag.com) The policy backdrop changed on March 23, when the Federal Communications Commission added all foreign-made consumer-grade routers to its Covered List. That bars new foreign-made models from getting the equipment authorization needed for import and sale in the United States, while leaving previously approved models and already purchased routers untouched. (docs.fcc.gov) (pcmag.com) The Federal Communications Commission said the move followed an executive-branch determination that foreign-produced routers pose supply-chain and cybersecurity risks, including risks to critical infrastructure. Reuters reported the order also created a conditional-approval path for devices the Defense Department or Homeland Security Department deem acceptable. (docs.fcc.gov) (usnews.com) That means the manufacturing shift away from China does not solve the industry’s immediate problem. The trade group said “virtually no” consumer routers sold in the United States are made domestically, and building United States capacity would require years of factory investment, supplier development, and hiring. (pcmag.com) (electronics.org) The report estimated more than 100 million consumer routers are in active use in the United States, and said roughly 70% of households get their router or gateway from a broadband provider. In practice, that makes sourcing changes a question for internet companies and retail brands as much as for shoppers comparing boxes on a shelf. (electronics.org) The trade group tied the earlier migration out of China to tariffs imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term. A Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis published April 7 said a broader pattern has emerged across electronics and other goods, with trade flows moving toward Vietnam and North American supply chains rather than simply disappearing. (pcmag.com) (csis.org) Security concerns still shape the politics around routers. Reuters reported Representative John Moolenaar praised the March 23 order, while TP-Link Systems said it would “vigorously defend” its reputation and denied that the Chinese government has ownership or control over the company, its products, or user data. (usnews.com) So the label on a router now tells two stories at once: where assembly moved after years of tariffs, and how far United States policy is now pushing electronics makers to move again. (pcmag.com) (docs.fcc.gov)