US Bans Imports of New Humanoid and Quadruped Robots, Primarily Targeting Chinese Manufacturers

The US FCC has banned the import of new models of humanoid and quadruped robots, as well as inverters, citing national security risks. The restrictions apply only to models not yet on the market, but the regulator may revoke approvals for existing models. Due to China's dominance in robotics and inverter production, the measures are mainly aimed at Chinese suppliers, such as Unitree, which holds nearly 20% of the global robot market. China also produces over 90% of the world's inverters, used in solar energy and data centers. US authorities fear these devices could be used for data theft and cyberattacks, threatening supply chains. This follows a similar ban on drone imports from China in December 2025.