The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has announced a prohibition on the importation of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters due to concerns about national security risks, specifically targeting China. Beijing has swiftly criticized the U.S., labeling the move as protectionist. These actions are expected to strain relations with Beijing as Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in September. China holds a dominant position in the global humanoid robot market with an estimated market share of around 85%.
In addition to humanoid robots, the FCC’s ban extends to quadruped robots, commonly known as four-legged robot dogs. The agency has highlighted that the importation of advanced robots poses cybersecurity and other national security risks, while offshore production of such equipment exposes U.S. supply chains to potential disruptions. The ban on power inverters, which convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity used in renewable energy systems, data centers, and household appliances, could have far-reaching implications.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr emphasized that these measures aim to safeguard America’s critical supply chains and apply to the importation of “new versions” of such products. These bans follow a series of U.S. restrictions on Chinese imports, including drones, and limitations on the export of advanced U.S. technology to China. The U.S. is also considering controls on the utilization of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly advancing.
China has been rapidly integrating robots into various sectors, supported by favorable policies for its technology industry. Analysts at Morgan Stanley project that the humanoid robot market in China could reach $15 billion US by 2030. Restricting Chinese access to the U.S. market may protect U.S. developers from price competition but is unlikely to significantly impede China’s overall humanoid development due to its robust domestic manufacturing base.
The restrictions could impact collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology firms, potentially affecting projects like Nvidia’s humanoid robot reference design that utilizes China’s Unitree chassis. The Pentagon recently listed Unitree and other major Chinese tech companies as having connections to or supporting the Chinese military, a claim rejected by Beijing.
China has vowed to take all necessary measures to protect the rights and interests of its businesses in response to the U.S. actions, criticizing Washington for using national security as a pretext for targeting Chinese companies. The Chinese Foreign Ministry asserted that protectionism will not enhance U.S. competitiveness and will only harm the interests of American companies and consumers.