U.S. bans imports of new foreign humanoids, robot dogs and inverters

The Donald Trump administration has banned the import into the United States of new humanoid robots, robot dogs and power inverters made abroad. Such devices, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Tuesday, pose an “unacceptable” threat to national security: they can be controlled remotely, used for surveillance on behalf of foreign governments or deployed in cyberattacks.

The measure primarily affects shipments from China, which accounts for the overwhelming share of global production of both humanoids and inverters. That said, the FCC noted that exceptions are possible — if the authorities decide that a particular device poses no danger.

The arguments and the scale

Washington has long accused Beijing of hacking American companies to steal data and of laying the groundwork for future cyberattacks, including in the event of a possible invasion of Taiwan. Separately, the United States points out that the very fact of Chinese ownership allows the PRC authorities to compel a company to spy on Americans or to remotely interfere with the operation of its products. Then again, TechCrunch notes, not without irony, that the American government itself has similar legal levers at its disposal.

The market for humanoid robots is still far from mass scale: in 2025 around 15,000 such machines were shipped worldwide, most of them from the two largest Chinese manufacturers. Power inverters, on the other hand, which connect home solar and other renewable energy systems to the grid, are far more widespread. Devices already installed are not affected by the ban — it applies only to new imports.

Part of a broader pattern

The ban continues a string of American measures against China in recent years. Earlier the authorities forced TikTok to pass under the control of American investors, restricted the import of a wide range of foreign consumer routers, and blocked the products of video-surveillance makers Hikvision and Dahua, which are linked to human rights abuses.

Beijing reacted sharply to the FCC's decision: a spokesperson for the PRC's Foreign Ministry, quoted by the Associated Press, said that China would take “all necessary measures” to protect its companies. Meanwhile, a state visit to Washington is planned for September, during which the Chinese leadership is expected to meet with President Trump.

Source: TechCrunch