Mubasher: The US President Donald Trump is considering the issuance of an executive order at the beginning of 2019 to prevent local companies from using telecom equipment produced by China’s Huawei and ZTE for espionage allegations.

Washington has alleged earlier that the Chinese tech companies were spying on Americans for the favour of Beijing’s government.

The planned executive order would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that gives the president the authority to regulate commerce to handle a national emergency that threatens the US, according to Reuters.

Both Chinese giants did not comment on the issue.

Such step will have a great impact on the US rural operators, which rely heavily on Huawei and ZTE equipment, the London-based news agency said.

The order may cost the US Rural Wireless Association’s (RWA) members from $800 million to $1 billion to replace their Huawei and ZTE equipment.