Huawei is in talks with about 30 Japanese companies to negotiate licensing fees for the use of its patented technology, according to iFeng News. The move highlights the Chinese telecom giant’s increasing dependence on revenue from such licensing agreements amid US sanctions. While it is uncommon for a major manufacturer to directly negotiate patent fees with smaller clients, Huawei is exploring this approach due to the challenging business environment caused by trade restrictions. Huawei is seeking alternative sources of stable income and patent royalties from small businesses and startups, which are not subject to trade restrictions. Sources from Japanese companies indicate that Huawei is requesting payments ranging from a fixed fee of 50 yen (35 cents) or less per unit of equipment to 0.1% or less of the unit’s price. Huawei holds a significant share of standard-essential patents, which are crucial for the use of wireless communication standards such as 4G and Wi-Fi. [iFeng News, in Chinese]