The US is banning foreign robots
The ban will have a major impact on robots made in China.
by Emma Roth and Sean Hollister
Jul 28, 2026, 6:37 PM EDT
The Chinese robot maker, Unitree, will likely be impacted by the ban. Bloomberg via Getty Images
The US government is targeting China with a new import ban on “advanced robotic devices” and power inverters made in foreign countries, as reported earlier by Reuters. In an announcement on Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission says the ban will include “mobile” robots, such as humanoid and quadruped models — but it is not limited to robots that walk around.
Though the FCC says the move isn’t targeted at a specific country, it will have a major impact on China as the country ramps up efforts to produce humanoid robots, some of which we’ve seen in viral videos stumbling to Michael Jackson, partaking in MMA fights, and even appearing on America’s Got Talent. Meanwhile, in the US, Tesla has discontinued its Model S and Model X vehicles to make room for its Optimus humanoid robot production.
China is also home to the world’s leading power inverter producers — Sungrow and the already-blacklisted Huawei — which are often used in solar panel arrays and other renewable energy systems. In its announcement, the FCC cites “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons” as the reason for the ban.
A FAQ page published by the FCC defines an “advanced robotic device” as a machine that is capable of “locomotion, obstacle avoidance, navigation, or movement on the ground;” comes with a sensor that perceives the surrounding environment; and has a chip for network connectivity.
