The US bans Chinese humanoid robots over remote-hijacking fears

The Trump administration has banned imports of new foreign humanoid and quadruped robots into the US — the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added them to its national security threat list alongside power inverters used in data centers and solar panels, the BBC reports.

According to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the goal is "to secure America's critical supply chains." The agency argues such devices could let "malign actors surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or remotely commandeer the robots."

• The ban applies only to new models — devices already authorized by the FCC aren't affected
• Manufacturers can seek conditional approval through the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security
• Power inverters for data centers and solar panels were added too, citing the same remote-shutdown and data-theft risks
• Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics already build humanoid robots in the US

“Beijing has long opposed the US' politicising of trade issues and sanctions based on groundless pretexts. China will take all necessary measures in response to any moves that harm its interests.”

— Chinese Embassy in Washington, statement responding to the FCC decision

Quote source: BBC.

The decision fits an already-familiar pattern: China remains the world's largest producer of humanoid robots (Unitree, UBTech, and AgiBot have rapidly overtaken US rivals), and Washington has already slapped tariffs on Chinese EVs and blocked sales of advanced chips to China, citing both trade imbalances and military applications, Forbes notes.

We've covered how China gave away an AI model that matched the specs of one the US had just banned — China gave away an AI that matches the model the US just banned; the tech standoff between the two countries keeps running in circles — a ban on one side almost always gets a symmetrical response from the other.

The ban only covers new models — meaning it won't actually stop Chinese robots already operating in the US, just close the door on the next generation of devices. Given how fast the industry itself is moving, the line between "new" and "already approved" could blur within a few months.

*None of this should be read as personalized investment advice.*