FCC Bans Foreign-Made Robots Unless 65% U.S.-Sourced

FCC expands supply chain restrictions to advanced robotics

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has added advanced robotics to the Covered List under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, effective July 28, 2026. The designation encompasses humanoid robots, quadrupeds, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and other wheeled or tracked ground platforms.

Once listed, these products cannot receive FCC equipment authorization, which effectively blocks their importation, marketing, or sale in the United States. The only path forward for manufacturers is obtaining a Conditional Approval from the Department of War.

New definition ties restrictions to domestic content, not origin

The robotics rule breaks from traditional country-of-origin frameworks. Instead of focusing on where a robot is designed or which company manufactures it, the FCC adopted the Buy American Act's "domestic end product" standard.

Under this approach, a robot avoids Covered List classification only if it is manufactured in the United States and meets specific domestic component cost thresholds. Through 2028, at least 65% of component costs must be domestic. That threshold rises to 75% in 2029.

This marks a significant shift in how the federal government defines "foreign produced" for connected technology, emphasizing supply chain composition over corporate nationality or design headquarters.

Components excluded; focus is on complete systems

Unlike prior Covered List actions targeting unmanned aircraft systems, consumer routers, and power inverters, the robotics designation does not separately regulate components. The restriction applies to finished robotic systems only.

Companies seeking exemptions must apply directly to the Department of War for Conditional Approval by January 1, 2028. The application process requires detailed disclosures about supply chains, ownership structures, sourcing practices, and planned investments in domestic manufacturing capacity.

Why it matters

This rule fundamentally reshapes the U.S. robotics market by making domestic content—not just assembly location—the determining factor for market access. Companies relying on global supply chains face a binary choice: restructure manufacturing to meet the 65% threshold or navigate a Pentagon approval process with uncertain timelines and outcomes. The policy signals that supply chain security now extends beyond drones and networking gear to encompass the broader category of autonomous ground systems, with direct implications for warehouse automation, logistics, and industrial robotics deployments.

Broader pattern of supply chain enforcement

The robotics action continues the federal government's category-wide approach to restricting foreign-produced connected technologies. Previous designations have covered unmanned aircraft systems and their critical components, consumer-grade routers, and power inverters.

The pattern reflects an expanding federal focus on supply chain security for technologies that connect to networks or collect data, particularly those with potential applications in critical infrastructure or sensitive environments.

These details were first reported by Automation Watch.