The Federal Communications Commission announced restrictions on humanoid robots and related technology originating from China, according to statements released on Tuesday. The agency defined the banned devices as “advanced robotic devices,” encompassing humanoid units and animal-like quadrupeds. FCC officials characterized the technology as posing “unacceptable risks” to national security, asserting that such robots could collect data exploitable by foreign actors for surveillance purposes or to compromise U.S. intelligence capabilities.
The restrictions extend beyond humanoid robots to include connected power inverters, which facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources and batteries into electrical grids and data center operations. Administration officials stated that the measure aligns with the Trump administration’s stated goal of strengthening domestic technology manufacturing and supply chain independence. An unnamed administration official told Reuters that the president has emphasized the need for “independent and secure supply chains for critical and emerging technologies” and characterized “economic security” as equivalent to “national security.”
China’s embassy in Washington responded by urging the United States to consider “objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries” and accused the U.S. of “smearing Chinese companies.” Beijing indicated it would “take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes material harm to its interests.” Chinese media outlets quoted industry analysts who characterized the U.S. actions as reflecting anxiety over eroding technological advantages and described the restrictions as reflecting “irrational” policy approaches.
The restrictions apply to robot and inverter models not yet released to the market, though the FCC retains authority to revoke existing authorizations for previously approved models. Industry analysts have projected significant adoption of AI-enabled humanoid robots across consumer and industrial sectors, while data center expansion in the U.S. depends substantially on inverter supplies. China holds the leading position in global inverter manufacturing through companies including Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei, both of which face existing U.S. sanctions.
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