Chinese telecom giant ZTE has asked the US government to lift a ban on sales to the company, which threatens its survival and has added to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The telecom equipment and handset maker said in a filing Sunday that it has submitted a request to the US commerce department for a stay of the export ban, along with supplemental information.

The ban prohibits US companies from selling crucial hardware and software components to the company, with one Chinese investment bank estimating ZTE had only one or two months supply of those items on hand.

Trading in ZTE shares in Hong Kong and Shenzhen has been halted since the US announcement last month.

The tough sanctions come as the battle over technology takes centre stage in a US spat with China over trade and industrial policy.