WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled sweeping bans targeting imports of new Chinese-made humanoid robots, quadruped robots, and connected power inverters, a move officials say is critical to defending the U.S. artificial intelligence buildout from national security threats and cyber vulnerabilities.
The Federal Communications Commission released the measures Tuesday afternoon, immediately barring the import of unreleased robot models and internet-connected inverters—devices essential for linking renewable energy sources and batteries to power grids and data center equipment. The restrictions underscore a broader strategy to safeguard the U.S. AI supply chain from potential disruption, data theft, and state-sponsored espionage, while simultaneously pressuring companies to relocate manufacturing to American soil.
Supply Chain Vulnerabilities in the Crosshairs
“These devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities that could disrupt U.S. economic and national security and could create a cybersecurity risk that threatened American critical infrastructure,” the FCC stated. Chairman Brendan Carr reinforced the agency’s stance, adding, “The FCC will continue to do our part to secure America’s critical supply chains.”
The move comes as analysts project explosive growth in the humanoid robot sector, where AI-enabled “brains” are expected to see broad adoption across consumer and industrial markets. Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of data-center construction in the U.S. hinges on a reliable influx of inverters. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously cautioned that Chinese AI firms could face sanctions for stealing U.S. intellectual, and officials are eager to avoid a repeat of the rare earth minerals scenario, where China’s market dominance provided significant geopolitical leverage.
China’s embassy in Washington pushed back sharply, urging the U.S. to “heed the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries” and to “stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.” Beijing vowed to “take all necessary measures” in response to actions that harm its interests.
Unitree in the Crosshairs and Likely Exemptions
The robot ban is expected to heavily impact Unitree, a global leader in humanoid robotics that commands just under a fifth of the global market share, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm, recently added to a Pentagon list of alleged Chinese military-backed companies, has partnered with Nvidia to utilize the chipmaker’s cutting-edge Blackwell processor. While Nvidia maintains that data from the robots will stay in the U.S. and that Unitree’s primary customers are American academic and research institutions, China hawks fear the sophisticated machines could be used to surveil key industries, extract sensitive data, or be remotely commandeered.
Robots “collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots,” the FCC warned. Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, praised the ban, stating it “protects our country and strengthens our nation’s robotics industry.”
Following the actions, the FCC is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions, mirroring a pattern established with recent bans on foreign drones and routers, according to four sources. The measures apply only to models not yet released, though the FCC retains the authority to revoke authorizations for existing models already cleared for U.S. sale.
Inverters and the Shadow of Volt Typhoon
China is the world’s largest maker of inverters, led by giants Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei, the latter already heavily sanctioned by Washington. Beijing has been aggressively expanding its Western market share by slashing prices. The FCC’s inverter ban follows similar actions in Europe and reflects deep-seated fears of a repeat of the Volt Typhoon hacking campaign, revealed in 2023, where Chinese government-linked actors compromised privately owned routers to burrow into American critical infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of Defense is prohibited from procuring solar cells, modules, or inverters from foreign entities of concern, a category that includes Chinese companies.ree, Sungrow, and Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new restrictions.
