The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is prohibiting the entry of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters due to concerns about national security, with a specific focus on China. Beijing swiftly criticized the U.S., labeling it as protectionist. These actions are expected to strain relations with Beijing, especially as Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in September. China holds a significant share of approximately 85% in the global humanoid robot market.
In addition to humanoid robots, the FCC’s ban extends to quadruped robots, commonly known as four-legged robot dogs. The agency emphasized that the introduction of advanced robots could pose cybersecurity and other national security threats. Offshore production of such equipment also exposes U.S. supply chains to potential disruptions.
The prohibition on power inverters, which convert direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity and are used in various applications like renewable energy systems, data centers, and household appliances, could have far-reaching consequences. FCC chair Brendan Carr stated that the objective is to safeguard critical supply chains in the U.S., and the bans specifically target “new versions” of these imports.
The FCC’s restrictions follow a series of U.S. measures targeting Chinese imports, including drones, and restricting the export of advanced U.S. technology to China. The U.S. is contemplating controls on the utilization of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models, as Chinese AI continues to make significant advancements.
China’s aggressive adoption of robots, backed by supportive technology sector policies, is evident. Analysts from Morgan Stanley predict that China’s humanoid market could reach $15 billion US by 2030. Despite the ban limiting Chinese manufacturers’ access to the U.S. market, it is not expected to significantly impede China’s overall humanoid development due to its robust domestic manufacturing base.
Unitree and AGIBOT, major Chinese robotics companies, outpaced their U.S. counterparts like Tesla and Figure AI in humanoid robot shipments in 2025, as reported by Omdia. Regarding the power inverter restrictions, Morningstar analyst Cheng Wang believes the impact on U.S. markets will likely be minimal, as existing devices and previously approved Chinese models remain unaffected.
China responded to the U.S. actions by criticizing Washington for using national security as a pretext to suppress Chinese companies. China vowed to take all necessary steps to protect the legitimate rights of its businesses. The country’s Foreign Ministry argued that protectionist measures would not enhance U.S. competitiveness and would instead harm the interests of American companies and consumers.
The new bans could potentially disrupt collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology firms, noted Omdia’s chief analyst Lian Jye Su. For instance, Nvidia unveiled a humanoid robot reference design in June that utilizes the humanoid chassis from China’s Unitree. The Pentagon included Unitree and other Chinese tech companies on a list of firms allegedly tied to the Chinese military, a claim that Beijing has refuted.