FCC Bans Imports of Foreign-Made Humanoid Robots, Citing China Security Concerns

On July 28-29, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns. The action, reported by CBS News, The Hill, BBC News and The Guardian, is widely characterized as targeting China amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to restrict Chinese technology from entering the United States. The FCC added the devices to its "covered list," a designation indicating the products pose an "unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons." According to The Guardian, the FCC's definition of banned devices includes "advanced robotic devices," encompassing both humanoid robots and animal-like quadrupeds. The move was announced under the Trump administration and comes amid what BBC News described as an ongoing race between the U.S. and China for leadership in robotics and artificial intelligence. The precise scope of the ban, including whether it applies exclusively to Chinese-manufactured devices or more broadly to foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters regardless of country of origin, is described somewhat differently across reports and remains not fully clarified. Further regulatory details, implementation timelines, and specific enforcement mechanisms were not specified in available reporting. No official response from China or from the robotics industry was included in the supplied reports.