OAKLAND, Calif., Dec 22 Reuters Chinese technology giant Huawei will bring in more patent income than it pays to other companies for their patents for the second straight year in 2022, as it seeks to offset the impact of U.S. export curbs on sales in its hardware business, the company announced late Thursday.

Huawei, known for its telecoms equipment and smartphones, signed or renewed over 20 patent licensing deals this year, said Steven Geiszler, the company39;s U.S. chief intellectual property counsel. Among licensors announced Thursday were several automakers, including MercedesBenz, Audi , Porsche and BMW, that are seeking to add more communications technologies to their vehicles.

By getting a return on our RD investment, it allows us to reinvest and reinvent, Geiszler said, referring to research and development.

The automakers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Huawei generated about 1.2 billion globally from licenses over the three years ended 2021, or roughly hundreds of millions of dollars annually, Geiszler said. Its fullyear sales figures for 2022 will not be tallied until next year, and the licensing unit39;s profits or losses are not accounted for independently, he said.

Those figures are small relative to the billions of dollars in annual sales Huawei has lost due to U.S. curbs on Chinese technology since 2019 that have stung its ability to sell in places such as the United States and Europe.

But the company has grown more aggressive…