Jianmin Jin, a senior fellow at Japan’s Fujitsu Research Institute, spoke about the decision by the US to target the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker, announced on Wednesday.

Jin noted that similar action by the US against another Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer, ZTE, had a crippling effect on that firm.

He predicts Huawei will be protected to some extent because it uses many of its own semiconductors.

He pointed out that Huawei anticipated the US move, and prepared for it by reorganizing its global supply chain.

The firm has been calling on its suppliers to make their products in China. It has also settled a long-running patent dispute with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics.

But Jin said the ban will likely start to impact Huawei’s products in about six months’ time.

Electronics parts makers in Japan and South Korea supply many components to Huawei.

Jin said if the US pressures other countries to tighten the screws on Huawei, Japan could find itself in a bind.