A Unitree humanoid robotic on the China Humanoid Robotic Convention in Seoul. Credit score: Eugene Demaitre
As competitors in next-generation robotics and AI intensifies, the U.S. authorities is proscribing imports of sure robots and linked energy inverters produced in international nations. The Federal Communications Fee, or FCC, yesterday stated a White Home-convened govt department interagency physique has decided that such merchandise “pose unacceptable dangers to the nationwide safety of america.”
The FCC stated it has determined that foreign-made “superior robotic units,” together with cell robots akin to humanoids and quadrupeds, may create provide chain vulnerabilities and pose a cybersecurity threat to American important infrastructure.
On the similar time, the fee offered an exemption for superior robots and power inverters that obtain conditional approval from the U.S. Division of Battle or Division of Homeland Safety. The ruling doesn’t have an effect on gross sales, advertising, or use of units already acquired or fashions which have already acquired FCC gear authorization.
As well as, the ban on new units doesn’t apply to federal purchases. Software program updates for foreign-supplied programs can get approval with a waiver.
The FCC cited comparable actions it has already taken concerning uncrewed plane programs (UAS) and demanding parts for drones, the place the U.S. has been rebuilding manufacturing functionality after dropping most of it to China a few decade in the past.
Cybersecurity is a significant concern
“This is without doubt one of the strongest technology-security actions in fashionable U.S. historical past,” wrote Evan Beard, CEO of Normal Bots, on LinkedIn. “The message is unambiguous: Robotics is a know-how America should lead and personal — and foreign-subsidized robots is not going to be allowed to unfairly dominate U.S. robotics as they did solar.”
“As America’s largest AI-native industrial robotic producer by items shipped, Normal Bots strongly helps this transfer,” he acknowledged. “We’ve advocated for precisely this sort of motion in latest periods with the White Home and in Congressional testimony.”
Glen Cove, N.Y.-based Normal Bots final month raised $200 million in Sequence C funding to increase U.S. manufacturing. Salem, Ore.-based humanoid robotic developer Agility additionally testified earlier than Congress concerning the want for a unified U.S. robotics coverage.
The prohibition on inverters would have an effect on solely cell robotic joints with wi-fi entry, specializing in grid cybersecurity and never industrial robots, Beard advised The Robotic Report.
“It turned clear to me that cybersecurity had turn into a significant difficulty when researchers discovered a backdoor in Unitree robots and later discovered that some fashions have been transmitting information again to servers in China with out the proprietor’s information,” stated Robert Little, a enterprise growth advisor, former chief of robotics technique at Novanta Inc., and a 2026 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards honoree.
Unitree filed for a $610 million preliminary public providing in China in March.
“Some ask, ‘Why not simply ban these particular person corporations as a substitute of all Chinese language manufacturers?’ The reply seems to be that the administration believes the chance extends past anyone firm due to the Chinese language authorities’s authority over corporations working in China,” Little advised The Robotic Report.
“There are different considerations, together with the huge subsidies which have created unfair competitors,” he added. “However for my part, nothing is extra essential than cybersecurity. These robots are cell, linked computer systems with cameras, microphones, and sensors. As soon as they enter factories, warehouses, and ultimately our houses, defending the information they acquire turns into a nationwide safety difficulty.”
How ought to U.S. robotics corporations compete with China?
The FCC claimed that the ban on sure cell robots and energy inverters is country-neutral. The U.S. Division of Commerce can be contemplating tariffs on imported robotics, industrial equipment, and private protecting gear.
Nonetheless, a number of business observers stated it targets China, which has more than half of the world’s industrial robotic installations and has shipped 80% to 90% of humanoid robots thus far. A bill introduced in November 2025 would prohibit the federal authorities from shopping for humanoids with AI from navy suppliers to China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
Protectionist insurance policies additionally pose dangers whereas encouraging home robotics manufacturing. Main producers, together with ABB, FANUC, Yaskawa, KUKA, and Teradyne Robotics, have expanded their U.S. presence lately.
“Within the close to time period, the measure may gradual U.S. bodily AI innovation by chopping startups and researchers off from future low-cost Chinese language platforms earlier than comparable Western alternate options exist,” stated Georg Stieler, a world robotics advisor and managing director for Asia at STM.
“It additionally opens alternatives for U.S. suppliers and allied producers in a position to localize manufacturing within the U.S. or get hold of conditional approval,” he advised The Robotic Report. “But excluding international merchandise will not be the identical as constructing a aggressive industrial base.”
“Key dependencies stay upstream: actuators, reducers, batteries, sensors and rare-earth everlasting magnets,” Stieler noticed. “China accounts for greater than 90% of worldwide magnet-rare-earth refining and sintered permanent-magnet manufacturing, creating a possible lever for countermeasures.”
“America’s expertise with DJI is cautionary. Regardless of years of restrictions on Chinese language drones, the U.S. nonetheless lacks a aggressive mass-market consumer-drone producer, and Skydio exited the patron market in 2023,” he stated. “Restrictions can scale back safety publicity, however they don’t by themselves create a aggressive home ecosystem.”
Henrik Christensen, Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair in Robotic Techniques on the College of California San Diego and writer of the “Roadmap for U.S. Robotics,” whose newest version was launched in 2024, warned: “Observe the ban is doubtlessly a lot wider than China. Canadian [and] European robots may very well be impacted. That is very unhealthy information for the business usually.”
A comparability of humanoid shipments from China versus the U.S. Supply: Worldwide Federation of Robotics
FCC ban may hit U.S. innovation greater than world humanoid market
The commerce restrictions are unlikely to have an effect on the race to develop humanoids and enabling AI, in keeping with one market researcher.
“Within the quick time period, the influence even on Chinese language corporations is more likely to be restricted, as most Chinese language humanoid robotic corporations haven’t but entered the U.S. market,” acknowledged Rueben Scriven, senior analysis supervisor at Work together Evaluation. “Given the AI and bodily information competitors behind humanoid robots, many business gamers have already anticipated such dangers for robots meant for real-world deployment, and their near-term abroad growth efforts are centered extra on the Asia-Pacific area.”
“Whereas the ban reduces direct competitors from Chinese language producers, it could additionally hinder U.S. producers searching for to supply robots in China or different nations,” he stated. “Ought to the ban persist over the long run, it will demand that U.S. home humanoid robotic makers quickly reduce prices and scale up manufacturing; in any other case, it may gradual the commercialization of humanoid robots.”
“This announcement is extra more likely to inhibit the U.S. humanoid robotics business, because the presence of low-cost Chinese language humanoid robots has been serving to educate the U.S. market by means of promotional and leisure use circumstances — an impact this coverage dangers undermining,” stated Scriven.
The Robotic Report will proceed its protection of evolving U.S. coverage and humanoid robotics growth, which shall be among the many subjects mentioned at RoboBusiness in October in Santa Clara, Calif.
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