Cisco tightens Certification of Origin requirements, excludes China-made chips

Cisco tightens Certification of Origin requirements, excludes China-made chips. Credit: Cisco

US digital communications technology corporation Cisco has notified its suppliers to enforce stricter Certification of Origin (COO) requirements, stating that products must not contain chips manufactured in China, according to Chinese media outlet Icsmart. The COO standard has been upgraded from the final packaging location of the chip to tracing the production sites of chips and photomasks. Due to national security concerns related to Cisco’s networking equipment, strict traceability of chip origins is required, sources said. However, for most consumer electronics, unless the US enacts specific restrictions, supply chains are unlikely to exclude Chinese-made components. Additionally, there is speculation that Dell plans to move 50% of its production capacity out of China by the end of 2025. [Icsmart, in Chinese]