FCC to Ban Chinese Humanoid Robots and Power Inverters

The Federal Communications Commission plans to announce sweeping restrictions Tuesday afternoon that will bar imports of new Chinese humanoid and quadruped robots, along with connected power inverters used in renewable energy systems and data centers.

The measures represent the Trump administration's latest effort to insulate America's artificial intelligence infrastructure from potential Chinese disruption, cyberattacks, and intellectual property theft while encouraging domestic manufacturing of technologies expected to see explosive growth.

Targeting the AI supply chain

The restrictions will take effect immediately upon publication and apply only to robot and inverter models not yet released to market, according to U.S. officials. However, the FCC retains authority to revoke existing authorizations for products already approved for sale in the United States.

"The President has made clear that the United States must have independent and secure supply chains for critical and emerging technologies like robotic devices and power inverters," an administration official said. "Economic security is national security, and the Trump administration continues to implement a nuanced and multi-faceted policy agenda to reindustrialize America."

The FCC is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions, following the pattern established with recent bans on foreign drones and routers.

Why it matters

The bans signal growing concern that China could leverage dominance in emerging robotics and energy infrastructure the way it has with rare earth minerals—creating dependencies that Beijing can exploit for geopolitical advantage. With U.S. data center construction accelerating to support AI development, securing reliable sources of critical components has become a national security priority. The restrictions also aim to prevent another Volt Typhoon-style hacking campaign, where attackers compromised routers to infiltrate American critical infrastructure.

Chinese manufacturers in the crosshairs

The robot ban is expected to significantly impact Unitree, which holds nearly 20 percent of the global humanoid robot market according to Counterpoint Research. The company was recently added to the Pentagon's list of alleged Chinese military-backed companies—often a precursor to stricter U.S. action.

Unitree recently partnered with Nvidia to incorporate the chipmaker's advanced Blackwell processors into its robots. Nvidia has stated that data from these robots will remain in the United States and that Unitree's primary customers are U.S. academic and research institutions. Nevertheless, national security officials worry the robots could surveil key American industries or exfiltrate sensitive data to Beijing.

For power inverters, China dominates global production through companies like Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei, the latter already facing extensive U.S. sanctions. Beijing has expanded its Western market share by aggressively undercutting prices. The Defense Department already prohibits procurement of solar photovoltaic cells, modules, or inverters from foreign entities of concern, including Chinese manufacturers.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Chinese AI firms could face sanctions for intellectual property theft, underscoring the administration's broader concerns about technology transfer and economic security.

The Detroit News first reported these details about the forthcoming FCC restrictions.