US Bans Foreign-Made Humanoid Robots and Inverters

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday barred imports of new foreign-made humanoid and four-legged robots and certain power inverters, citing national security and cybersecurity risks. The restrictions apply to newly developed models and do not cover devices already in use or models previously approved for sale in the United States. FCC chair Brendan Carr described the action as intended to “secure America’s critical supply chains.”

The agency said advanced robots produced offshore could introduce vulnerabilities into U.S. networks and make supply chains vulnerable to disruption. Power inverters were included because they convert direct current into alternating current and are widely used in solar installations, data centers and household appliances.

Industry data show Chinese firms hold an estimated 85% share of the global humanoid robot market. In 2025 about 15,000 humanoid robots were shipped worldwide; Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000 units, while U.S. manufacturers such as Tesla and Figure AI shipped a few hundred or fewer. Kangyuxiao Li of Morningstar noted that restricting Chinese manufacturers’ access removes a potential sales market for those firms and shields U.S. developers from price competition, but expected China’s overall development to continue because of its large domestic manufacturing base and other export markets.

The bans follow earlier U.S. limits on some drones and controls on exports of advanced semiconductor equipment. U.S. officials have also discussed measures related to Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models. The FCC did not publish a detailed timeline for implementing the new restrictions; follow-up guidance on enforcement is expected.

China’s Foreign Ministry called the ban protectionist. Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Beijing would take “all measures necessary” to defend Chinese companies and warned that protectionism would harm U.S. companies and consumers. The Pentagon added Unitree and several other technology firms to a list alleging ties to the Chinese military; Beijing rejected those assertions.

Observers noted existing collaborations between U.S. and Chinese firms could be affected. Nvidia recently unveiled a humanoid reference design that used a chassis made by Unitree. Industry groups and affected companies are expected to seek clarifications on the scope of the restrictions in the coming weeks as diplomatic talks continue ahead of a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September.