US Bans Foreign-Made Humanoid, Quadruped Robot Imports Over Security Concerns

The United States has announced a sweeping ban on the import of foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing national security and cybersecurity concerns in a move expected to hit Chinese manufacturers the hardest and further deepen technology tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The decision, announced on Tuesday by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), targets what the agency described as “advanced robotic devices” manufactured outside the United States, warning that such technologies could pose risks to critical infrastructure and public safety.

According to the FCC, the decision followed recommendations from a White House task force, which concluded that foreign-built robots could create “a cybersecurity risk that threatens the security of critical infrastructure” and endanger “the safety and security” of US residents.

The ban applies to mobile robots weighing more than two kilograms that rely on sensors, software and network connectivity to navigate autonomously, including humanoid robots and quadruped machines, commonly known as robot dogs.

The latest restriction comes as the global race to dominate the advanced robotics industry intensifies, with China currently leading the sector.

Analysts at Barclays estimate that Chinese manufacturers account for approximately 85 per cent of the global humanoid robot market, while Morgan Stanley projects China’s humanoid robotics industry could reach a value of $15 billion by 2030.

“Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li told the Associated Press.

Although the United States has accelerated domestic robot development, companies such as Figure AI have only recently begun deploying humanoid robots on factory production lines, while Tesla plans to commence production of its Optimus humanoid robot later this year.

Industry data from technology research and advisory firm Omdia shows that Chinese robotics firms Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025 alone, significantly outpacing US manufacturers, whose exports remain in the hundreds.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the restrictions were also intended to “secur[ing] America’s critical supply chains.”

Despite the restrictions, analysts believe the ban is unlikely to significantly slow China’s robotics industry.

Li said the measures would not “materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.”

The move is also expected to have diplomatic implications ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.

The latest action follows previous US restrictions on Chinese-made drones, while Washington is also considering tighter controls on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models over concerns relating to espionage, surveillance and data security.

The Pentagon has also added Unitree and several other Chinese technology firms to its list of companies it alleges have links to the Chinese military, an accusation Beijing has consistently rejected.

Commenting on the growing technology dispute, Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at New America, a think tank focused on Chinese technology policy, said, “It’s a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into [the] Trump-Xi summit.”

The FCC clarified that stationary industrial robots will be exempt from the ban. However, experts say the broad definition of covered devices could potentially extend to advanced robotic vacuum cleaners and similar autonomous consumer products.

In addition to the robotics restrictions, the FCC announced that foreign-made power inverters—devices used to convert electricity generated from solar panels into grid-compatible alternating current—will also be prohibited due to similar cybersecurity concerns.

The agency warned that internet-connected inverters could potentially be remotely disabled or exploited for data collection, with the latest restrictions also expected to disproportionately affect Chinese manufacturers, which dominate the global solar inverter market.