Microsoft Resumes Selling 'Existing Inventory' of Huawei Laptops

Microsoft will resume sales of Huawei laptops after pulling the products from its online store following the Trump administration's blacklisting of the Chinese vendor.

The company plans on selling its "existing inventory" for Huawei products on the Microsoft Store, the tech giant told PCMag in a statement.

"We have been evaluating, and will continue to respond to, the many business, technical, and regulatory complexities stemming from the recent addition of Huawei to the US Department of Commerce's Export Administration Regulations Entity List," the company added. In other words, Microsoft needed time to understand all the caveats with Trump's trade order.

The company quietly delisted the products about a month ago after the White House effectively banned US companies from supplying technology to Huawei. At the time, Redmond remained mum on the situation with Huawei, but on Monday, it finally addressed the issue, including whether it can continue to offer software support to Huawei-designed Windows laptops. The answer is yes.

"We remain committed to providing exceptional customer experiences," Microsoft said. "Our initial evaluation of the US Department of Commerce's decision on Huawei has indicated we may continue to offer Microsoft software updates to customers with Huawei devices."

That's good news for anyone who owns a Huawei Matebook X Pro or the Huawei Matebook 13, both of which received positive reviews from PCMag. A Twitter user was the first to notice Microsoft relisting the products on the company's website.

However, Huawei is facing a tougher time releasing new Windows notebooks with the Trump trade order in effect. Earlier this month, the company reportedly had to cancel a launch of a new Matebook. In addition to Microsoft, chipmakers such as Intel and Qualcomm must also stop technology sales to the Chinese vendor.

As a result, Huawei may resort to launching its own operating system later this year. But in the short-term, the company expects to lose significant sales without access to US suppliers. On Monday, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said he estimated Huawei's revenue for the next two years will fall about $30 billion under its previous forecasts.

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"We did not think the situation would be as severe as it is today," Ren said while speaking at a panel in Shenzhen. "Over the next two years, we will have to switch many product versions… But after we go through this process, we will be stronger."

Huawei cancels new laptop launch, cites U.S. ban as cause