FCC Bans Imports of New Foreign-Made Humanoid Robots

The Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that targets China.

The ban also covers new imports of quadruped robots, the four-legged machines often called robot dogs. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the action was intended to "secure America's critical supply chains," and that the restrictions apply to "new versions" of such imports.

The commission based its decision on findings from a task force convened by the White House, which concluded that foreign-built robots could create "a cybersecurity risk that threatens the security of critical infrastructure" as well as "the safety and security" of U.S. residents, the French news agency AFP reported. The agency added that offshore production of the equipment leaves U.S. supply chains vulnerable to disruption.

The restriction on power inverters, which convert direct current into alternating current and are used in renewable energy systems, data centers and household appliances, could have sweeping consequences.

China dominates the global humanoid robot market with an estimated share of roughly 85%. Of the roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in 2025, the Chinese firms Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000, according to the research group Omdia. U.S. rivals such as Tesla and Figure AI each shipped a few hundred or fewer. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast that China's humanoid market could reach $15 billion by 2030.

China's Foreign Ministry accused Washington of overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies and said Beijing would take "all measures necessary" to defend its firms. "Protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers," spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Wednesday in Beijing.

The measures land weeks before a planned U.S. visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping and a meeting with President Trump in September. "It's a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September," said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank.

Analysts said the effect on China's industry would be limited. "Restricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition," said Kangyuxiao Li of Morningstar, but it "will not materially slow China's overall humanoid development."

Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia, said the bans could interfere with U.S.-Chinese corporate collaboration. Nvidia in June revealed a humanoid robot reference design that uses a chassis made by Unitree. The Pentagon recently added Unitree to its list of companies it says have ties to the Chinese military, a claim Beijing rejects.