At the Huawei factory site in Brumath, France, September 30, 2025. FRÉDÉRIC MAIGROT/REA
In the late morning of Thursday, October 16, the brand-new buildings of the Huawei factory in Brumath, about 20 kilometers north of Strasbourg, stood eerily empty. Not a soul could be seen behind the vast glass windows and barely a dozen cars were parked outside the 52,000-square-meter site, which is set to begin production of 3G, 4G and 5G antennas in early 2026.
For the Chinese telecoms giant, this expansive industrial site – the first of its kind outside China – has long symbolized its ambition to conquer the European market. But since the Shenzhen-based group began considering abandoning this nearly €300 million project, the factory has become emblematic of its struggles on the continent, where its future has never seemed so uncertain.
Donald Trump ousted Huawei from US mobile networks for safety reasons. Today, the European Commission believes the Chinese giant has become far too entrenched in Europe. The Commission is expected soon to propose to member states and the European Parliament that Huawei be excluded from the continent's telecom networks. The move could coincide with the presentation of a revised cybercrime law, scheduled for January 20, 2026.
