The United States imposes a ban on the import of Chinese robots and inverters to protect AI infrastructure.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has significantly expanded the list of equipment banned from import and sale on the domestic market. The updated list includes new models of humanoid and quadruped robots, as well as foreign-made power inverters. The decision is motivated by the need to protect supply chains for the artificial intelligence industry and critical infrastructure from threats of cyber espionage and sabotage.
Details of the Restrictions
The measures are primarily aimed at Chinese products. The ban applies exclusively to new models that have not yet received approval for sale in the United States. At the same time, the FCC reserves the right to revoke licenses for already certified equipment in the future. Exceptions are expected to be made for manufacturers from other countries, as previously happened with routers and drones.
The regulator explains that modern robots are capable of collecting vast amounts of data. With remote access, they could be used to monitor American enterprises and interfere with the operation of critical infrastructure. Similar concerns are raised regarding imported inverters used in power grids, data centers, and energy storage systems. As stated in the official announcement, "these devices could create vulnerabilities in supply chains capable of undermining U.S. economic and national security, as well as posing a cybersecurity threat to critical infrastructure."
China in the Crosshairs
The main target of the new measures appears to be the Chinese company Unitree, which controls about 20% of the global humanoid robot market. The manufacturer was recently added by the Pentagon to the list of companies linked to the military. Particular attention has been drawn to Unitree's cooperation with NVIDIA: the robots have received support for an AI platform based on Blackwell chips. NVIDIA previously assured that data from the devices remains within the United States, and the main customers are American universities and research organizations.
China is the world's largest producer of inverters, led by the company Sungrow Power Supply. Huawei, already under strict sanctions, is increasing its share of the Western market for these products. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has already responded to the FCC's decision, urging the United States to "listen to the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries" and "stop smearing Chinese companies." Diplomats emphasized that Beijing "will take all necessary measures in response to any actions that cause substantial damage to its interests."
Recall that in July, the Trump administration returned to discussing measures that could complicate the use of Chinese AI models with open weights. 25 companies, including Nvidia, Meta, and Microsoft, signed an open letter calling for such restrictions not to be imposed.
Expert opinion: This FCC step is a logical continuation of U.S. policy to limit China's access to critical technology supply chains. However, the ban on importing robots and inverters could have the opposite effect: it will accelerate the development of China's own production capabilities and strengthen the technological isolation of the American market, which in the long term could reduce the competitiveness of U.S. companies in the field of AI infrastructure.