US government bans new foreign-made humanoids, robot dogs, and solar inverters, citing risks to national security
Quick Answer
The U.S.
Quick Take
government has banned the import of new foreign-made humanoid robots, robot dogs, and solar inverters, primarily targeting Chinese manufacturers due to national security concerns. The FCC cites risks of remote control and surveillance by foreign entities, while existing devices in homes remain unaffected.
Key Points
- Ban affects imports of humanoid robots and solar inverters from China.
- FCC cites risks of surveillance and cyberattacks from foreign-made devices.
- Existing household solar inverters are not impacted by the ban.
- China's market dominance in humanoid robots is highlighted with 15,000 units shipped in 2025.
- U.S. actions against China include previous bans on TikTok and surveillance equipment.
DeepSignal Analysis
What happened
The U.S. government has implemented a ban on the import of new foreign-made humanoid robots, robot dogs, and solar inverters, primarily targeting Chinese manufacturers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cited national security risks, including potential remote control and surveillance capabilities of these devices by foreign entities. Existing devices already in use will not be affected by this ban.
Key evidence
- The FCC announced the ban, stating that foreign-made devices could be used for surveillance or cyberattacks, particularly from China, which dominates the global market.
- Approximately 15,000 humanoid robots were shipped worldwide in 2025, with China's two largest manufacturers responsible for the majority of these shipments.
- The ban is part of a broader trend of U.S. actions against China, which includes previous bans on TikTok and certain foreign-made consumer routers.
Why it matters
This ban reflects ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly regarding cybersecurity and national security. By restricting imports of these technologies, the U.S. aims to mitigate risks associated with foreign surveillance and cyber threats. The implications for innovation and collaboration in robotics and renewable energy sectors could be significant, potentially hindering advancements and market competition.
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readThe Trump administration is banning the import of new foreign-made humanoid robots, robot dogs, and power inverters, citing an “unacceptable” threat to national security. The move largely affects imports from China, which currently has the vast majority of the global market share.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced the ban on Tuesday, saying that devices made overseas could be remotely controlled or used for surveillance by foreign governments, or otherwise used in cyberattacks.
The FCC said that exceptions would be granted if the government finds that a device does not pose a risk to U.S. national security.
The U.S. government has long accused China of hacking into U.S. businesses to steal data, and preparing to launch future cyberattacks for its own military gains, such as an anticipated invasion of Taiwan. But the U.S. has also long warned that the risk of Chinese ownership alone could allow Beijing to force a company to spy on Americans or remotely tamper with their products. The U.S. government has similar legal powers.
Humanoid robots, the class of robots that move similarly to humans, are far from mainstream and are still in early development. There have been around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in 2025, with each of China’s two largest robot makers accounting for the majority of those shipments.
Power inverters are far more commonly used in U.S. households that connect solar and other renewable energy systems to the wider power grid. Existing devices in homes and installations are unaffected by the ban, the FCC said.
The ban is the latest in a series of actions taken by the U.S. government against China in recent years, including a U.S. government ban on TikTok that forced it into the hands of U.S. investors, plus bans on a broad swath of foreign-made consumer routers, and Chinese surveillance equipment makers Hikvision and Dahua, which have been linked to human rights abuses.
Beijing rebuffed the FCC’s ban, with a Foreign Ministry spokesperson quoted by the Associated Press as saying that China will use “all measures necessary” to protect China’s businesses.
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping is expected to meet President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. during a planned state visit in September.
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Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this week in security.
He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
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