Experts react to FCC limits on U.S. imports of new humanoid and mobile robots
By
Eugene Demaitre
|
July 29, 2026
A Unitree humanoid robot at the China Humanoid Robot Conference in Seoul. Credit: Eugene Demaitre
As competition in next-generation robotics and AI intensifies, the U.S. government is restricting imports of certain robots and connected power inverters produced in foreign countries. The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, yesterday said a White House-convened executive branch interagency body has determined that such products “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States.”
The FCC said it
has determined
that foreign-made “advanced robotic devices,” including
mobile robots
such as
humanoids
and
quadrupeds
, could create supply chain vulnerabilities and pose a cybersecurity risk to American critical infrastructure.
At the same time, the
commission
provided an exemption for advanced robots and
power inverters
that receive conditional approval from the U.S.
Department of War
or Department of Homeland Security. The ruling does not affect sales, marketing, or use of devices already acquired or models that have already received FCC equipment authorization.
In addition, the ban on new devices does not apply to federal purchases. Software updates for foreign-supplied systems can get approval
with a waiver
.
The FCC cited similar
actions it has already taken
regarding uncrewed aircraft systems (
UAS
) and critical components for drones, where the U.S. has been rebuilding production capability after losing most of it to China about a decade ago.
Cybersecurity is a major concern
“This is one of the strongest technology-security actions in modern U.S. history,”
wrote Evan Beard
, CEO of
Standard Bots
, on LinkedIn. “The message is unambiguous: Robotics is a technology America must lead and own — and foreign-subsidized robots will not be allowed to unfairly dominate U.S. robotics as
they did solar
.”
“As America’s largest AI-native industrial robot manufacturer by units shipped, Standard Bots strongly supports this move,” he stated. “We have advocated for exactly this kind of action in recent sessions with the White House and in Congressional testimony.”
Glen Cove, N.Y.-based Standard Bots last month
raised $200 million
in Series C funding to expand U.S. manufacturing. Salem, Ore.-based humanoid robot developer
Agility
also testified before Congress
about the need
for a unified U.S.
robotics policy
.
The prohibition on inverters would affect only mobile robot joints with wireless access, focusing on grid
cybersecurity
and not industrial robots, Beard told
The Robot Report
.
“It became clear to me that cybersecurity had become a major issue when researchers found a backdoor in
Unitree
robots and later
discovered
that some models were transmitting data back to servers in China without the owner’s knowledge,” said
Robert Little
, a business development advisor, former chief of robotics strategy at Novanta Inc., and a
2026 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards honoree
.
Unitree
filed
for a $610 million
initial public offering
in China in March.
“Some ask, ‘Why not just ban those individual companies instead of all Chinese brands?’ The answer appears to be that the administration believes the risk extends beyond any one company because of the Chinese government’s authority over companies operating in China,” Little told
The Robot Report
.
“There are other concerns, including the massive subsidies that have created unfair competition,” he added. “But in my view, nothing is more important than cybersecurity. These robots are mobile, connected computers with cameras, microphones, and sensors. Once they enter factories, warehouses, and eventually our homes, protecting the data they collect becomes a national security issue.”
How should U.S. robotics companies compete with China?
The FCC claimed that the ban on certain mobile robots and power inverters is country-neutral. The U.S. Department of Commerce is also
considering tariffs
on imported robotics, industrial machinery, and personal protective equipment.
However, several industry observers said it targets
China
, which has
more than half
of the world’s industrial robot installations and has shipped 80% to 90% of humanoid robots to date. A
bill introduced in November 2025
would prohibit the federal
government
from buying humanoids with AI from military suppliers to China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
Protectionist policies also pose risks while encouraging domestic robotics production. Leading manufacturers, including
ABB
,
FANUC
,
Yaskawa
,
KUKA
, and
Teradyne Robotics
, have expanded their U.S. presence in recent years.
“In the near term, the measure could slow U.S. physical AI innovation by cutting startups and researchers off from future low-cost Chinese platforms before comparable Western alternatives exist,” said
Georg Stieler
, a global robotics
advisor
and managing director for Asia at STM.
“It also opens opportunities for U.S. suppliers and allied manufacturers able to localize production in the U.S. or obtain conditional approval,” he told
The Robot Report
. “Yet excluding foreign products is not the same as building a competitive industrial base.”
“Key dependencies remain upstream: actuators, reducers, batteries, sensors and rare-earth permanent magnets,” Stieler observed. “China accounts for more than 90% of global magnet-rare-earth refining and sintered permanent-magnet production, creating a potential lever for countermeasures.”
“America’s experience with
DJI
is cautionary. Despite years of
restrictions
on Chinese drones, the U.S. still lacks a competitive mass-market consumer-drone producer, and
Skydio
exited the consumer market in 2023
,” he said. “Restrictions can reduce security exposure, but they do not by themselves create a competitive domestic ecosystem.”
A comparison of humanoid shipments from China versus the U.S. Source: International Federation of Robotics
FCC ban could hit U.S. innovation more than global humanoid market
The trade restrictions are unlikely to affect the race to develop humanoids and enabling
AI
, according to one market researcher.
“In the short term, the impact even on Chinese companies is likely to be limited, as most Chinese humanoid robot companies have not yet entered the U.S. market,” stated Rueben Scriven, senior research manager at
Interact Analysis
. “Given the AI and physical data competition behind humanoid robots, many industry players have already anticipated such risks for robots intended for real-world deployment, and their near-term overseas expansion efforts are focused more on the Asia-Pacific region.”
“While the ban reduces direct competition from Chinese manufacturers, it may also hinder U.S. manufacturers seeking to produce robots in China or other countries,” he said. “Should the ban persist over the long term, it would demand that U.S. domestic humanoid robot makers rapidly cut costs and scale up production; otherwise, it could slow the commercialization of humanoid robots.”
“This announcement is more likely to inhibit the U.S. humanoid robotics industry, as the presence of low-cost Chinese humanoid robots has been helping educate the U.S. market through promotional and entertainment use cases — an effect this policy risks undermining,” said Scriven.
The Robot Report
will continue its coverage of evolving U.S. policy and humanoid robotics development, which will be among the topics discussed at
RoboBusiness
in October in Santa Clara, Calif.
Save the date for RoboBusiness 2026
About The Author
Eugene Demaitre
Eugene Demaitre is editorial director of the robotics group at Arrowfly (previously WTWH Media). He was senior editor of The Robot Report from 2019 to 2020 and editorial director of Robotics 24/7 from 2020 to 2023. Prior to working at Arrowfly, Demaitre was an editor at BNA (now part of Bloomberg), Computerworld, TechTarget, and Robotics Business Review.
Demaitre has participated in robotics webcasts, podcasts, and conferences worldwide. He has a master’s from the George Washington University and lives in the Boston area.
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