Ever since the Trump administration [clamped down on Huawei](https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/01/17/trump-administration-issues-one-more-middle-finger-to-huawei-and-its-us-suppliers/), initially banning the company from selling its products in the US and ultimately stopping it from working with any US businesses, the Chinese conglomerate is effectively barred from making any phones and tablets at all. To combat this issue, Huawei has already [sold its sub-brand Honor](https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/01/29/honor-says-its-no-longer-affected-by-huaweis-trade-sanctions/) to a consortium, allowing the ex-subsidiary to use both Android and processors designed in the US, but the company is still struggling to plug the financial hole left by the lack of new self-made Android phones. According to [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-15/huawei-recruits-smartphone-partners-to-sidestep-u-s-sanctions), Huawei now has a new plan in the works how it could sidestep parts of the ban. It wants to license its smartphone designs to third-party manufacturers.