HONG KONG (AP) 鈥� The Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. said on Tuesday it would ban the import of foreign-made humanoid robots in a move that targets China, arguing they pose a national security risk.
The decision could strain as the technology race between the two world leaders advances. China makes substantially more humanoid robots than the U.S. and other competitors, and analysts estimate that Chinese humanoid robots鈥� global market share has reached roughly 85%.
The FCC鈥檚 ban includes new imports of humanoid robots, quadrupeds 鈥� often referred to as four-legged robot dogs 鈥� as well as foreign-made power inverters.
In making the decision, the FCC said these advanced robots produced in foreign countries pose supply chain vulnerabilities to the U.S. as well as cybersecurity and national security risks.
FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said in a statement that the move was to 鈥渟ecure America鈥檚 critical supply chains.鈥�
The United States has been taking steps to keep Chinese technology out with recent bans on imports, including of . The U.S. is also weighing restrictions on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models, at a time when .
鈥淚t鈥檚 a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,鈥� said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies. U.S. President Donald Trump is in September following their .
Last year, China around 85% of humanoid deployments globally, according to Barclays, with its technological sector backed strongly by state support and policy. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast China鈥檚 humanoid robot market could reach $15 billion by 2030.
鈥淐hinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,鈥� said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.
鈥淩estricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition,鈥� he said. 鈥淗owever, it will not materially slow China鈥檚 overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.鈥�
Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China鈥檚 largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000, while their U.S. counterparts like Tesla and Figure AI each shipped a few hundred or less, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.
When it comes to global markets, China is also targeting Europe, for example, as a key market for its advanced robots including humanoids, Omdia said.
China has pushed back and as an opportunity for the world, rather than a threat, as countries including the U.S. raise concerns over how could hurt their economies.
The latest U.S. ban could also potentially impact collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia.
Nvidia, for example, in June a humanoid robot reference design which uses the humanoid chassis of Chinese robot maker Unitree.
The Pentagon recently placed Unitree on its list of firms that it said have ties to or aid the Chinese military, a claim that Beijing said it 鈥渇irmly opposes.鈥�
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