U.S. bans foreign-made humanoid robots, targeting China over national security

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that targets China.

The latest ban follows a string of such restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and curbs on exports of advanced US technology to China.

3 min readJul 29, 2026 02:53 PM IST Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP)The tech war between the United States and China has spread beyond Artificial Intelligence. The latest point of contest is humanoid robots from China, which have attracted

The Trump administration has banned the import of humanoid and quadruped robots manufactured outside the United States, citing national security concerns. The ban could strain diplomatic tensions with China.

Authorities aim to avert another Chinese government-linked hacking campaign, such as the ‘Volt Typhoon’ operation revealed in 2023

Trump Administration Bans New Chinese Humanoid Robots To Protect U.S. AI Buildout  HuffPost

US bans foreign-made humanoid robots, targeting China over national security  Toronto Star

The Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. has announced a ban on foreign-made humanoid robots, mainly targeting China, over national security concerns

US bans foreign-made humanoid robots, targeting China over national security  AP News

The US Federal Communications Commission has banned Chinese humanoid robots citing national security concerns. Advanced robotic devices pose unacceptable risks to United States security and its citizens. These robots possess sensors capable of collecting sensitive data on their surroundings. China is identified as a si

China’s humanoid robots have been taking over the global market. Now the US is banning them  CNN

Docs point to China’s Unitree as prime example of the foreign clanker threat

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a ban on new foreign-made humanoid robot imports to the US over "unacceptable risks" to the country's national security.

United States Bans Chinese Humanoid & Quadruped Robots, Citing National Security  Forbes

The move seeks to protect the U.S. AI build-out from national security threats and reshore key industries slated for explosive growth.

Elon Musk has called for greater investment in solar energy to power AI infrastructure. Marc Piasecki/Getty Images Tesla inked deals to purchase electricity from two utility-scale solar power projects. The projects have a combined solar capacity of roughly 600 megawatts. Tesla's latest power purchases come as the comp

The US and China are locked in a race to the lead the world in robotics and artificial intelligence.

It's part of a national security strategy to kickstart domestic production of emerging technology.

Move comes as the Trump administration has increasingly sought to keep Chinese technology out of the US The Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on humanoid robots from China on Tuesday, saying that the technology poses “unacceptable risks” to the country’s national security. The move comes as the Trump ad

The robot ban is expected to hit Unitree, one of three Chinese companies dominating the industry.

The Chinese robot maker, Unitree, will likely be impacted by the ban. | Bloomberg via Getty Images The US government is targeting China with a new import ban on "advanced robotic devices" and power inverters made in foreign countries, as reported earlier by Reuters. In an announcement on Tuesday, the Federal Communic

Advanced robots and power inverters made overseas pose risks that could include blackouts and espionage on Americans, U.S. officials said.

The executive directive instructs the Economy and Industry Ministry to establish regulations banning such goods in accordance with standards set by international law.