Google has made a formal application to the US government to keep trading with the blacklisted Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei. 

The company confirmed to MailOnline that it applied for a permanent licence to trade with Huawei 'months ago', along with hundreds of other companies.

It is not known when the government's decision on the matter will be revealed.

The Trump administration blacklisted Huawei in May last year amid ongoing allegations that the company is a threat to American national security – which Huawei has denied.

As a result of the ban, Huawei smartphones – including its new Mate 30 and Mate XS – lack the Android operating system, which is developed by Google. 

The ban makes business difficult for Google because Huawei is no longer using its services, according to German news agency DPA, as reported by Heise. 

If Google is granted the license, Huawei could start equipping its devices with the classic version of Android again. 

The application was first revealed by Google's vice president of product management, Sameer Samat.