As a poster child of collateral damage from the U.S.-China tech war in its early days, telecoms giant ZTE Corp. has taken years to bounce back from a massive U.S. fine and other corrective measures for violating export controls and sanctions on Iran in 2017. But the high-profile clash may not be history just yet, despite ZTE’s many efforts to comply with an earlier settlement and maintain a low profile since then.
Last week, a Reuters report emerged that the company was once more being accused by the U.S. of wrongdoing, this time for making illegal bribes in Brazil, and that it was close to settling the matter in an agreement that could cost it over $1 billion. If true, that amount would be close to the $1.19 billion fine ZTE paid in 2018.
ZTE’s shares plunged by 13% in Hong Kong following the report, wiping out about half of their gains for this year. The stock is still more than double the depths it fell to at the height of its last tussle with the U.S. in 2018. But more downside could still lie ahead, depending on how chapter two of its latest clash plays out.