DECOUPLING: Chinese-made iPhones could be banned in US over theft of trade secrets.

Back in 2023, both Samsung Display and China’s BOE were filing multiple suits against one another, each concerning alleged theft of technologies. As part of this, Samsung Display also filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), and that regulator has now made a preliminary ruling.

According to ET News, the ITC has sided with Samsung over the allegation that BOE has violated trade secrets concerning the manufacture of OLED screens. Specifically, the ruling says that Samsung Display “has proven by a preponderance of evidence” that BOE has been making OLED panels through “misappropriation of trade secrets.”

The ruling is preliminary, however reportedly the ITC rarely overturns its initial findings in its final judgement. That final judgement is currently expected to be issued in November 2025, when as US President, Trump will have two months to decide whether the exercise any recommended ban.

If the ITC follows its preliminary recommendations, and those are approved, then the ban would cover the import of products, such as certain iPhones, which use BOE OLED panels.

The lesson is an old one: Don’t trust China; China is asshoe.