ZTE Corp. on Wednesday postponed the release of quarterly earnings, saying it needs time to assess the impact of a U.S. order that bans American companies from selling it parts, which could undermine its ability to manufacture equipment.

ZTE, a maker of telecom equipment and smartphones, was due to release results Thursday.

It announced the delay as components makers, wireless carriers, retailers, telecommunications firms and Google, developer of the Android operating system, sought to clarify how they will be affected by the order, announced Monday by the U.S. Commerce Department.

“There are a lot of companies around the world scrambling to find out what this means,” said Washington lawyer Tim O’Toole, a sanctions specialist whose clients include companies that have done business with ZTE. “It’s rare that you go from A OK to no transactions overnight.”

Under the order, American companies are banned from selling parts and software to ZTE for seven years.

ZTE said its board postponed a meeting to approve the results while it reviews the order. Trading in its shares has been suspended since Tuesday.

American companies are estimated to provide 25 percent to 30 percent of the components used in ZTE’s equipment.

ZTE has not responded to requests to describe how it intends to respond to the ban, which a senior U.S. Commerce official said is unlikely to be lifted.

“I never say never,” the official said earlier this week. “We’re going to have to see how this unfolds. But there is no provision currently for that to occur.”

One key area of concern is whether ZTE will be able to continue to sell phones running Google’s widely used Android operating system.

ZTE and Google have been discussing the impact of the ban, a source familiar with those discussions said Tuesday. ZTE shipped 46.4 million smartphones last year, placing it seventh among Android-based manufacturers, according to research firm IHS Markit. (SD-Agencies)