The technological war: USA bans import of advanced robots from China
The Donald Trump administration has imposed additional restrictions on the import of new robots from China. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned the import of advanced humanoid and quadrupedal robots, as well as connected voltage inverters.
The Donald Trump administration has imposed additional restrictions on the import of new robots from China, citing concerns over national security threats and an attempt to protect the American AI industry. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled the restrictions, according to which there is a ban on the import of new advanced robots, including humanoid and quadrupedal robots, as well as connected voltage inverters that allow renewable energy sources and batteries to connect to power grids and data center equipment.
These restrictions are part of the US administration's efforts to protect the AI supply chain in the US from threats of disruption, data theft, and cyberattacks from China, while simultaneously pushing companies to move production to US territory.
"These devices could create a vulnerability in the supply chain that could disrupt the US economy and national security, as well as create a cyber risk that threatens critical US infrastructure," the FCC said in a statement.
Robots "collect data that hostile actors could exploit to track Americans, improve the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or take remote control of the robots." However, the agency is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions, as it did with similar bans recently imposed on foreign drones and routers.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington responded that Beijing "calls on the United States to listen to the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries" and to "stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions." The embassy added that the Chinese government "will take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes tangible damage to its interests."
The restrictions are being implemented against the backdrop of the assessment that humanoid robots, equipped with AI-based "brains," will gain widespread adoption in consumer and industrial arenas, while the accelerated construction of data centers in the US will depend on reliable sources of voltage inverters. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has already warned that sanctions will be imposed on Chinese AI companies for the theft of US intellectual property.
The US administration also wants to avoid a repeat of the crisis in rare earth metals, which are used in the production of technological devices and are under almost complete Chinese control, allowing the Chinese government to leverage access to them to achieve major gains on the international stage.
The measures, which took effect upon their publication, apply only to robot and inverter models that have not yet been released to the market. However, the FCC has the authority to revoke approvals for the sale of models that have already been approved for purchase in the United States. The bans will be a heavy blow to the company Unitree, which is considered a global leader in the field of humanoid robots and holds just under a fifth of the global market share, according to Counterpoint Research data. The company, which is one of three Chinese firms dominating the industry, was recently added to the Pentagon's list of companies supported by the Chinese military, a step that usually precedes the taking of stricter actions.
