Huawei's US trade restrictions are looking as though they may be alleviated at some point in the very near future and that means we could see Google Play Services on the company's phones again soon. 

Talks between China and US over a long-disputed trade deal are moving forward positively, according to Commerce Secretary Wilber Ross. 

While they are ongoing, Chinese companies have been placed on a blacklist, barring them from working with American companies. 

In the tech sector, the biggest impact of this has been felt by Huawei, the smartphone giant. 

Because of this blacklist, Huawei hasn't been able to build new phones running Google's services, and that means no Google Play Store or Play Services. It also means no working with Microsoft on its laptops. 

Specifically, that meant when the Mate 30 series launched a short while ago, it launched running a version of EMUI 10 without the usual Play Services. 

In order to help alleviate this situation, the US has planned for a little while to offer licenses up to companies, in order for US firms to still export certain products to Huawei and others. 

In an interview with Bloomberg, Ross stated that - while none have been issued so far - licenses "will be forthcoming very shortly". 

Of course, the Commerce Secretary didn't state which licenses had been applied for or how many are going to be approved. He did note, however, that some 260 licenses have been applied for. 

Until a more general deal with China is agreed, companies like Huawei and US companies that want to work with them will need these licenses in order to work together. 

The time frame mentioned is also very vague, but if "very shortly" does mean at some point in the next couple of months, and if those licenses include allowing Huawei to work with Google, it would mean a return of Play Services, hopefully in time for the P40 series in 2020.