US highlights cost of ICT import restrictions - Mobile World Live 19 FEB 2021 The US Department of Commerce (DoC) warned a new trade policy set to limit purchases of network technology and software from certain countries could impact as many as 4.5 million businesses and cost them up to $20.2 billion each year. In a report, the DoC stated the rule would “likely increase production costs” for affected companies as they “substitute higher-priced alternatives for restricted imports”. It also warned of possible “delays in the completion of projects” due to the need to re-evaluate and potentially modify purchases or designs to avoid restricted components.