US regulator ITC is recommending that BOE smartphone displays, such as those in some iPhones, should be banned, following a preliminary ruling in Samsung’s case against its rival.
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.
How this could affect Apple
Most recently, Apple has approved BOE as a supplier for iPhone 17 Pro displays, although solely for the Chinese market. The company has previously, however, been reported to produce displays for US models of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and the iPhone 16e.
Even if BOE was not due to continue being a supplier for the iPhone 17 range outside of the China-specific Pro edition, Apple will continue to sell some of these models in the US.
However, iPhones already imported by the time of the ban could continue to be sold. Plus according to South Korean publication JoongAng Daily, there is a complication because of how the ITC has not yet clarified whether the ban would specifically cover importing OLED displays or importing smartphones that use them.
This is different to how the ITC was able to ban the import and sale of Apple Watches into the US in late 2023. In that case, the ban concerned alleged infringement of patents rather than of specific components.
So since no iPhones are assembled in the US, no panel componets are imported. Consequently, while BOE is one of the display suppliers for the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 ranges, it’s reportedly arguable that Apple would not be affected by the ban.
However, it’s then also possible that Samsung Display could sue companies that use BOE displays in alleged violation of these trade secrets.
Samsung Display would have to weigh the benefits of suing Apple when that company is a major customer. But Apple is such a major customer of Samsung Display that it’s unlikely Apple would reduce its iPhone display orders, particularly since it only recently selected the company to make its iPhone fold screens.
Apple has previously cut BOE orders, though, and did so immediately after the supplier was found to have made unauthorized design changes to the iPhone 14. That was in 2022, and it’s taken years for BOE to resume being even a small-scale Apple supplier.
BOE is still a minor player in the display market, at least for Apple, and at least compared to Samsung Display and LG Display. However, in June 2025, BOE reportedly expanded its OLED specifically in order to dramatically grow its orders from Apple.
