After the White House retained the import ban on the tech giant, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 cannot be sold across the US for now.
The decision came to pass after the US government "decided not to reverse" the International Trade Commission's decision to prevent Apple from importing its newest smartwatches to the US.
President Joe Biden's administration only had until Christmas Day to overpass the ruling.
Apple has already removed the smartwatches from its official online platform and physical stores ahead of the ban.
The tech giant has already filed an appeal to the Federal Circuit court to overturn ITC's ban as it proceeds with the redesign approval for the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.
Apple vowed to be "taking all measures" to return the removed products to its US stores "as soon as possible."
Why Did the Apple Watches Get Banned in the US?
The import ban on the latest Apple Watch products comes after the ITC ruled that Apple was infringing a patented pulse oximeter on its smartwatches.
A patent for the blood oxygen-reading function had already been filed by Masimo, a medical device maker, years before Apple integrated the feature on its products.
The charges were filed by Masimo, accusing Apple of hiring away its employees and stealing its technology for its smartwatch devices.
The feature has been available on Apple Watch devices as early as 2020 with Series 6.
The ITC ruled that Apple cannot sell all affected products in the US unless it has agreed with Masimo, removed the feature, or changed its functions so it no longer violates the patent.
Related Article : Apple Won't Repair Out-of-Warranty Watches Anymore During Sales Ban
Where to Buy Banned Apple Watches?
While the Series 9 and Ultra 2 are banned in the US, the smartwatches are still available in other parts of the world, as well as retailer stores.
Non-US Apple users can still purchase the devices on Apple's official online stores as of writing.
If they are lucky, US customers can still purchase the devices via Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other retail stores that distributed the smartwatches ahead of the ban.
Scalpers and re-sellers are also expected to pop up in the following days, selling the coveted smartwatches at a higher price.
