U.S. bans humanoid robot imports, eyeing China and national security concerns

Hong Kong — 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 measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned U.S. visit and meeting with President Trump by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September. China dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated market share of roughly 85%.

The FCC's ban also includes new imports of quadruped robots - often referred to as four-legged robot dogs.

The FCC's decision was based on findings from a task force convened by the White House that concluded foreign-built robots could create "a cybersecurity risk that threatens the security of critical infrastructure" and "the safety and security" of U.S. residents, French news agency AFP reported.

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 centers 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 U.S. restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and on exports of U.S. advanced technology to China.

The U.S. 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 its use of robots, with policies supporting its technology sector. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast its market for humanoids could reach $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 U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. 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 m