The Trump administration has announced restrictions targeting imports of Chinese robots and power inverters, aiming to protect the development of artificial intelligence in the US from national security threats and to bring key industries expected to see explosive growth back onshore.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the measures ban imports from China of new humanoid and quadruped robots, as well as connected power inverters, which allow renewable energy sources and batteries to link up with power grids and data center equipment.
The FCC said in its announcement that these devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities capable of disrupting US economic and national security, and could pose cybersecurity risks threatening America’s critical infrastructure. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr added in the press release that the agency will keep working to protect America’s critical supply chains.
Beijing’s response
China’s embassy in Washington said Beijing is calling on the United States to take into account the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries, and to stop disparaging Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions. The Chinese government will take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes substantial harm to its interests, the embassy added.
Some analysts predict widespread adoption of humanoid robots equipped with AI “brains” across consumer and industrial sectors, while the rapid growth of data centers in the US will depend on reliable sources of power inverters. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Chinese AI companies could face US sanctions over allegations of stealing American intellectual property.
Humanoid robots of Chinese firm Unitree are considered some of the most advanced currently in existence. Source: Reuters
Other suppliers may be exempted
Following the initial announcement, the FCC is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions, as it has done with recent bans on foreign drones, according to four sources cited by Reuters.
The measures, which took effect immediately upon publication, apply only to robot and inverter models not yet released. However, the FCC has the authority to revoke sales licenses for models already approved for the US market.
A Chinese company in the crosshairs
The ban is expected to hit Unitree, the global leader in humanoid robots with close to 20% of the world market, according to Counterpoint Research. The company, one of three Chinese firms dominating the emerging sector, was recently added to the Pentagon’s list of businesses allegedly backed by the Chinese military, which could signal tougher US measures ahead.
Unitree recently partnered with Nvidia to use its advanced Blackwell AI chip to power the “brain” of one of its robots. Nvidia said data from the robots will stay in the US and that Unitree’s largest customers are American academic and research institutions.
US politicians who take a hard line on China have voiced concerns that the robots could be used to spy on critical American industries, extract data and send it to Beijing, or disrupt essential operations. The robots collect data that could be exploited by bad actors to surveil Americans, boost foreign intelligence capabilities, or remotely seize control of the robots, the FCC said Tuesday.
China is the world’s largest maker of power inverters, led by Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei, the latter already under heavy US sanctions. Beijing has been expanding its share of the Western inverter market by pushing prices down.
