US bans foreign-made humanoid robots, targeting China over national security - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is barring new imports of foreign-made humanoid robots, quadruped robots and power inverters, saying the products raise cybersecurity, supply-chain and national security concerns. The action is aimed largely at China, which AP said holds about 85% of the global humanoid robot market. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Tuesday the policy is intended to protect critical U.S. supply chains and applies to “new versions” of the affected imports.

The restrictions add another technology dispute between Washington and Beijing before a planned September visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. AP noted that the U.S. has already imposed limits on Chinese drones and on exports of advanced U.S. technology to China, while also considering controls involving Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models.

China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the FCC move, accusing the U.S. of using national security claims to pressure Chinese companies. Spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday in Beijing that China would take necessary steps to protect its firms’ interests and argued that protectionism would harm U.S. companies and consumers.

Analysts cited by AP said the robot ban could shield U.S. developers from lower-cost Chinese competitors but may not significantly slow China’s robotics sector because of its domestic manufacturing scale and other export opportunities. AP also reported that roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, with China’s Unitree and AGIBOT each shipping more than 5,000, while U.S. firms such as Tesla and Figure AI shipped only a few hundred or fewer, according to Omdia. The inverter restrictions may have limited immediate market impact if previously approved devices remain usable and saleable.