Hong Kong: The US 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 measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned US visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet with US President Donald Trump in September. China dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated market share of roughly 85 per cent.
The FCC’s ban also includes new imports of quadruped robots – often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The agency said imports of advanced robots pose cybersecurity and other national security risks. Offshore production of such equipment also leaves US supply chains vulnerable to disruptions.
The ban on power inverters, which are used to convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity and are used in renewable energy systems, data centres, and household appliances, could have sweeping ramifications.
FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the move was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.” He said the bans apply to “new versions” of such imports.
The FCC’s bans follow a slew of US restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and on exports of US advanced technology to China.
The US is also weighing controls on the use of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground.
“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 focused on Chinese technology policies.
China has been rapidly expanding the use of robots, with policies supporting its technology sector. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast its market for humanoids could reach USD 15 billion by 2030.
“Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.
“Restricting their access to the US removes an important future market and protects US developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However, it will not materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.”
Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China’s largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000. Their US counterparts, like Tesla and Figure AI, each shipped a few hundred or fewer, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.
China’s Foreign Ministry hit back at the US move, accusing Washington of overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies.
China will take “all measures necessary” to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses, it said.
“Protectionism does not make the US more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of US companies and consumers,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a regular press conference on Wednesday in Beijing.
The new bans could also potentially interfere with collaborations between US and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia.
NVIDIA, for example, in June revealed a humanoid robot reference design which uses the humanoid chassis of China’s Unitree.
The Pentagon recently included Unitree and several other major Chinese technology companies on its list of firms that it said have ties to or aid the Chinese military.
