US to ban Chinese humanoid robots over security concerns

Hongkong,UPDATED: Jul 29, 2026 11:46 IST

The US Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday that it will ban the import of foreign-made humanoid robots, in a move aimed at China, saying the machines pose national security risks. The ban also covers quadrupeds, often called four-legged robot dogs, and foreign-made power inverters.

The decision could add strain to ties between the two countries as their technology rivalry deepens. China produces far more humanoid robots than the US and other competitors, and analysts estimate that Chinese companies account for about 85 per cent of the global market.

Announcing the move, the FCC said advanced robots made in foreign countries create supply chain vulnerabilities for the US and raise cybersecurity and national security concerns. FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said in a statement that the step was meant to "secure America's critical supply chains".

The US has recently taken steps to keep Chinese technology out, including bans on imports such as Chinese-made drones. It is also considering restrictions on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is making rapid gains.

"It's a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September," said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank who focuses on Chinese technology policies. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September after their mid-May meeting in Beijing.

Barclays said China accounted for about 85 per cent of humanoid deployments globally last year. Morgan Stanley analysts have forecast that China's humanoid robot market could reach USD 15 billion by 2030.

"Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors," said Kangyuxiao Li, an analyst at Morningstar. "Restricting their access to the US removes an important future market and protects US developers from potential price competition," he said. "However, it will not materially slow China's overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets."

According to technology research and advisory group Omdia, of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China's largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000 units. Their US counterparts, including Tesla and Figure AI, each shipped a few hundred or fewer. Omdia also said China is targeting markets such as Europe for its advanced robots, including humanoids.

China has pushed back against such concerns and has defended its technological advances as an opportunity for the world rather than a threat, as countries including the US warn of how a "China Shock 2.0" could affect their economies. Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia, said the latest US ban could also affect collaborations between US and Chinese technology companies.

In June, Nvidia unveiled a humanoid robot reference design that uses the humanoid chassis of Chinese robot maker Unitree. The Pentagon recently added Unitree to a list of companies it said have ties to or support the Chinese military, a claim Beijing said it "firmly opposes". The US ban, covering humanoid robots, robot dogs and power inverters, comes as competition between Washington and Beijing over advanced technology continues to sharpen.

With PTI Inputs

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