China's Commerce Ministry has threatened retaliation and urged the United States to withdraw a decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add foreign-made advanced robotic devices, including humanoid robots, to a restricted import list over cybersecurity concerns. The FCC announced the move on Tuesday.
The FCC added humanoid robots, quadrupedal robots, and power inverters to its "Covered List" of equipment deemed too risky to authorize for sale in the U.S. Some reports note the FCC did not specify a country, while others state many of the devices are made in China.
A spokesperson for China's Commerce Ministry described the U.S. measures as "discriminatory treatment and suppression" targeting Chinese enterprises and products, and said the actions seriously harm China's legitimate trade interests, undermine China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and destabilize global supply chains.
The ministry said the FCC repeatedly ignored Beijing's restrained stance on product bans and that the decision overextends the concept of national security. It added that the ban "severely damages China-U.S. economic and trade stability."
Market researchers said the ban could hit Chinese humanoid robot producers. Marc Einstein, research director at Counterpoint Research, called it "bad news for Chinese humanoid producers planning their IPOs in the coming months." He added that China could retaliate by restricting rare earth sales to U.S. companies and limiting market access for firms like Tesla and NVIDIA.
According to Counterpoint Research data, Chinese companies Agibot, Unitree, and UBTech were the top three humanoid companies by installation market share in 2024, while Tesla's Optimus ranked fifth. Unitree and Agibot have filed to go public. Teddy Haggerty, CEO of Robostore, a distributor of Chinese humanoid robots in North America, said the company is expanding its U.S.-based capabilities.
The dispute adds to strains in U.S.-China relations. Reports indicate U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. could sanction China over AI model "theft," and Trump indicated on Thursday that the U.S. might take a more cautious stance on AI controls to maintain tech leadership.