The Trump administration has banned the import of advanced Chinese-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks that include foreign surveillance and cyberattacks against American infrastructure.
The Federal Communications Commission added both categories to its Covered List, a registry of goods and services deemed a threat to US national security. The ban applies to new foreign-produced advanced robotic devices and power inverters and does not affect existing models already authorized by the FCC.
China is the world’s largest manufacturer of humanoid robots, competing directly with US firms such as Elon Musk’s Tesla and Boston Dynamics in a rapidly growing market. Robots covered by the ban include humanoid and four-legged machines capable of operating in factories, warehouses, and private homes.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency was acting ‘to secure America’s critical supply chains’ and prevent foreign-made hardware from being used as a vector for espionage. The FCC cited concerns that robots made outside the US could allow ‘malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or remotely commandeer the robots.’
Power inverters, devices widely used in data centers and solar panel installations, were also restricted over similar concerns. The FCC warned that foreign-made inverters could be exploited through remote access, data theft, or targeted shutdowns by hostile state actors.
The Chinese embassy in Washington condemned the ban, saying Beijing has long opposed the US ‘politicizing’ of trade issues and imposing sanctions based on ‘groundless pretexts.’ The embassy said China will ‘take all necessary measures’ in response to any moves that harm its interests and urged countries to develop artificial intelligence ‘for the positive and for good.’
The ban is the latest escalation in the technology competition between Washington and Beijing. The Trump administration has already imposed steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, effectively shutting them out of the American market, and blocked the sale of cutting-edge US semiconductors to China.
Those semiconductor restrictions were designed to slow Beijing’s military modernization and preserve America’s lead in artificial intelligence. China has responded by accelerating domestic chip production and developing its own AI models and robotics platforms.
Chinese technology firms including Unitree, UBTech, and AgiBot have rapidly developed humanoid robots for use in factories and homes, marketing them aggressively to businesses and the public. US officials have warned that these devices could be co-opted by the Chinese government for intelligence gathering.
The White House has not commented directly on the FCC decision, but the move aligns with President Trump’s broader push to reduce US reliance on Chinese manufacturing and secure supply chains for emerging technologies. The administration has framed the robotics ban as a matter of economic security in an era of strategic competition with Beijing.
China called on the US to ‘abandon its hegemonic mindset, and stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.’ The Chinese government has maintained that its advances in robotics and AI are ‘the result of its own dedication and effort as well as international cooperation.’
Industry analysts expect the ban to accelerate efforts by US robotics firms to scale domestic production, though American manufacturers currently trail their Chinese counterparts in both output and cost efficiency. The ban also raises questions about how companies with existing Chinese-made robots in their supply chains will adapt.
The FCC decision marks one of the most direct regulatory interventions yet in the robotics sector, signaling that Washington views humanoid machines as a national security concern on par with semiconductors and telecommunications equipment.
Author: Pulse Of Nations Wire Desk
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