The Trump administration has banned imports of new Chinese humanoid and quadruped robots, as well as connected power inverters, in a move aimed at protecting the US artificial intelligence supply chain and strengthening domestic manufacturing.
The restrictions, announced on Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), took effect immediately upon publication. They apply to robot and inverter models that have not yet been released, although the FCC also has the authority to revoke approvals for products already authorised for sale in the US.
The measures are designed to reduce what US officials describe as risks of supply chain disruption, cyberattacks and data theft linked to Chinese technology. They also support the administration’s broader push to shift production of strategic technologies back to the US.
“These devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities that could disrupt U.S. economic and national security and could create a cybersecurity risk that threatened American critical infrastructure,” the FCC said in a statement.
“The FCC will continue to do our part to secure America’s critical supply chains,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr added.
The Chinese embassy in Washington criticised the decision and said Beijing “urges the United States to heed the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries” and “stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.”
The embassy added that China will “take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes material harm to its interests.”
The restrictions are expected to affect Chinese robot maker Unitree, which holds nearly one-fifth of the global humanoid robot market, according to Counterpoint Research. The company was recently added to the Pentagon’s list of alleged Chinese military-backed firms and has partnered with Nvidia to use the chipmaker’s Blackwell processors in its robots. Nvidia has said data from the robots will remain in the US and that Unitree’s biggest customers are American academic and research institutions.
US officials have expressed concern that Chinese-made robots could collect sensitive information or interfere with critical infrastructure.
“Robots collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots,” the FCC said.
Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, welcomed the decision, saying the FCC’s action “protects our country and strengthens our nation’s robotics industry.”
The ban also covers connected power inverters, a technology widely used to connect renewable energy systems, batteries and data centre equipment to electricity grids. China dominates global inverter production through companies such as Sungrow and Huawei.
The latest restrictions follow growing US concerns over Chinese-linked cyber threats, including the Volt Typhoon hacking campaign uncovered in 2023, and reflect Washington’s efforts to secure critical technology supply chains as AI infrastructure expands.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
