FCC Bans New Chinese-Made Humanoid Robots and Robot Dogs, Citing National Security Risks

Overview

The Federal Communications Commission has added foreign-made “advanced robotic devices” — humanoid robots and four-legged quadrupeds, along with connected power inverters — to its Covered List, blocking new imports of the equipment on national security grounds. The order, DA 26-786, was released July 28, 2026, one day after the Executive Branch national security determinations that triggered it were issued on July 27, 2026, according to the FCC’s own order text.

The move targets a sector where China holds a commanding position: according to ABC News, China controls approximately 85% of the global humanoid robot market, a figure independently corroborated by Fortune and Tech Xplore.

What We Know

• The FCC’s order rests on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, codified at 47 U.S.C. §§ 1601-1609, which requires the agency to add products to the Covered List once directed by national security determinations from other federal authorities, according to the FCC order.
• The order warns that 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,” and that “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,” according to the FCC order, language independently confirmed by Yahoo.
• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency’s action was meant to “secure America’s critical supply chains,” according to ABC News, and stated separately that “I welcome these Executive Branch national security determinations, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign produced advanced robotics and power inverters to the FCC’s Covered List,” according to Robotics and Automation News.
• The designation is prospective only. It applies to new device models seeking FCC authorization and does not affect robots, robot dogs, or power inverters already purchased or previously authorized, according to CBS News and Robotics and Automation News. TechCrunch reports that exceptions may still be granted if a device is found to pose no national security risk.
• The Covered List update also carves out an exemption for the federal government itself, which can continue buying and using the affected devices, according to CBS News. Manufacturers can seek a “Conditional Approval” for otherwise-covered devices from the Department of War, for robots, or the Department of Homeland Security, for power inverters, according to Robotics and Automation News.
• Of roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Chinese manufacturers Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000 units, while U.S. competitors Tesla and Figure AI shipped “a few hundred or less,” according to ABC News, figures corroborated by Fortune and Tech Xplore.
• Morgan Stanley analysts forecast China’s humanoid robot market could reach $15 billion by 2030, according to Fortune.
• China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded that “protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers,” according to ABC News.
• Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li said Chinese manufacturers “have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” and that restricting their access to the U.S. “removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition” without materially slowing China’s overall humanoid development given its domestic manufacturing base, according to Tech Xplore and ABC News.
• The action comes ahead of a planned September 2026 visit and meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to ABC News.

What We Don’t Know

• The FCC order incorporates the government’s technical definition of “advanced robotic devices” by reference to an appendix in the underlying national security determination rather than stating it in the order’s main text, so the precise engineering criteria distinguishing a covered device from an exempt one are not fully public in the documents reviewed.
• It is not yet clear how many, if any, Conditional Approval applications have been filed with the Department of War or Department of Homeland Security, or how quickly such requests might be processed.
• The full scope of retaliatory or diplomatic steps China may take beyond its Foreign Ministry’s public statement was not detailed in available reporting.

Analysis

The order’s prospective-only design — leaving existing robots, robot dogs, and inverters untouched while gating future authorizations — signals a targeted supply-chain move rather than a market-wide recall. But given that Chinese manufacturers already account for the large majority of humanoid robots shipped worldwide, the practical effect on U.S. buyers looking to source new units is likely to be immediate, even as analysts like Kangyuxiao Li suggest China’s domestic manufacturing base and other export markets mean the restriction is unlikely to meaningfully slow the country’s own humanoid robotics buildout.