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The US Federal Communications Commission is banning the import of new non-humanoid robots and energy converters, citing national security risks, a move aimed at China.
Beijing quickly accused the US of protectionism.
The moves are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned visit to the US by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet with US President Donald Trump in September. China dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated 85 percent market share.
The FCC ban includes new imports of four-legged robots, often called four-legged robot dogs. The agency said the importation of advanced robots poses cybersecurity and other national security risks. Offshore production of such equipment leaves US supply chains vulnerable to disruption.
A ban on power inverters, which are used to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and are used in renewable energy systems, data centers and home appliances, could have serious consequences.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the move was “to protect America’s critical chains.” He said the ban applies to “new versions” of such imports.
More US restrictions on Chinese exports
The FCC ban follows a series of US restrictions on the sale of Chinese products, including drones, and the export of advanced US technology from China.
The US is also weighing controls on China’s use of open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is growing rapidly.
“It’s a constant drumbeat of possibilities [the] The Trump-Xi summit is scheduled for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior executive at the New America think-tank that focuses on China’s technology policies.
Androids from 16 countries are competing for gold in competitions such as 100-meter hurdles and kung fu at the 2025 World Human Robotics Games.
China has been rapidly expanding its use of robots, with policies supporting its technology sector. Morgan Stanley analysts predict that its humanoid market could reach $15 billion in 2030.
“Chinese manufacturers have been ramping up production and cutting costs faster than many of their overseas competitors,” said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.
“Limiting their access to the US removes an important future market and protects US developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However, it will not slow down China’s humanoid growth, given the size of its manufacturing base and the opportunities in other export markets.”
Of the nearly 15,000 robots shipped worldwide by 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, China’s two largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000. Its US counterparts, such as Tesla and Figure AI, each shipped a few hundred or less, according to technology research and advisory group Omdia.
Regarding the limits of electric inverters, Cheng Wang, another Morningstar analyst, said that the pressure on the American market should be limited. The ban appears to affect the continued use of existing devices or sales by Chinese companies of models previously approved by the United States.
China promises an answer
China’s Foreign Ministry retaliated against the US move, accusing Washington of adding the concept of national security to pressure Chinese companies.
China will take “all necessary measures” to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses, he said.
“Protectionism does not make the US more competitive, and it will harm the interests of American companies and consumers,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokesman, told reporters at a regular press conference on Wednesday in Beijing.
The new ban could disrupt cooperation between US and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, senior analyst at Omdia.
Nvidia, for example, in June unveiled a reference design for a humanoid robot that uses China’s Unitree humanoid chassis.
The Pentagon recently added Unitree and other major Chinese technology companies to its list of firms it says have ties to or help the Chinese military. Beijing has rejected that claim.
