Humanoids produced in foreign countries are now banned from being imported into the US, a move some in the sector have said is aimed at stemming the influx of Chinese imports amid national security fears.

The ban was announced in late July when the United States’ Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added advanced robotic devices and inverters to its Covered List.

The Covered List, as defined by the FCC, is “a list of communications equipment and services that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the US or the safety and security of US persons”.

Any service or equipment on the Covered List (covered equipment) cannot receive FCC equipment authorisation, effectively banning their imports into the US. 

The advanced robotic devices ban - which does not apply to devices already imported or previously approved - has been defined by the FCC as mobile robots, including humanoids and the four-legged quadrupeds.

The ban has been imposed because a White House-convened executive branch interagency body determined the devices “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons,” regardless of the nationality or origin.

“In their determinations, national security agencies referenced, among other things, unacceptable risks, including that these devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities that could disrupt US economic and national security and could create a cybersecurity risk that threatened American critical infrastructure,” the FCC states.

The ruling does include an exemption for advanced robotics devices which have been granted Conditional Approval from the Department of War (DoW) or (in the case of power inverters) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

In explaining the decision to ban advanced robotic devices, the FCC quotes a National Security Determination.

“The networked capabilities of advanced robotic systems create extensive vulnerabilities and vectors for attacks that can manipulate the data and physical operation of the advanced robotic system,” it reads. “Relying on foreign-produced advanced robotic devices presents unacceptable supply chain and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

“Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots.”

While the move is aimed at protecting US national security, some analysts believe it designed specifically to block Chinese access to US markets - and potentially sensitive information.

Reuben Scriven, senior research manager with respected market intelligence company Interact Analysis, notes the mobile robot market has expanded rapidly in recent years where it has developed from a nascent sector into a more mature market.

Scriven explains global annual mobile robot shipments in 2025 were more than 200,000, representing an annual compound growth rate of some 32% since 2018.

Interact Analysis has forecast annual shipments of 500,000 units by 2030.

“China remains the largest market for mobile robots,” Scriven writes in his analysis. “However, rising supplier competition and weaker post-pandemic growth conditions have compressed margins, prompting many Chinese mobile robot manufacturers to look overseas for growth.”

He quotes figures of 91% of Chinese production in 2018 shipping domestically as opposed to 64% by 2025. Scriven adds that as Chinese vendors expand internationally, their share of mobile robots deployed in the US has increased significantly, jumping from 1% in 2018 to 36% in 2025.

“For allied-country vendors in Japan, South Korea, and the EU, the compliance burden exists on paper,” Scriven continues about the new ban. “However, the enforcement focus and political attention are likely to fall most heavily on Chinese-built fleets and Chinese-headquartered vendors.”

In a LinkedIn post, Robert Little, a member of the Robotics Technology Strategy Board, and a veteran of the robotics and automation industry, is quite clear this is about Chinese imports, though it is not explicitly stated.

“This is not about whether Chinese robots are capable. They clearly are. It is about whether America should place connected, mobile platforms it cannot fully trust inside factories, warehouses, public-safety systems and critical infrastructure.

“Until these vulnerabilities are fixed, restricting new Chinese-made humanoid and quadruped robots is the right call. Or is it?”

A number of analysts note the ban on new robotic devices, but not those already approved, condemns the US market to not having the benefit of evolving technology and machines developed internationally while continuing to rely on older technology.