The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on July 28 added foreign-made “advanced robotic equipment” – humanoid and quadruped robots – and grid-tied inverters to its list of restricted equipment, citing national-security risks to critical supply chains and infrastructure.
The move, first reported by Reuters, takes effect immediately and applies to robots and inverters not yet on the U.S. market. The FCC said it retains the power to revoke authorizations previously granted to models already sold in the United States – mirroring how Washington has recently restricted foreign drones and routers. Reuters, citing four people familiar with the matter, said non-Chinese suppliers are expected to be largely exempted.
In practice the targets are Chinese. Politico notes the step fits two priorities of Trump’s second term: containing China’s competition in artificial intelligence and blunting the rise of Chinese-dominated clean-energy technology. Analysts expect humanoid robots armed with AI “brains” to spread across consumer and industrial settings, while America’s data-center build-out depends on a steady supply of reliable inverters.
The business stakes are large. Morgan Stanley projects the humanoid-robot market could reach $5 trillion by 2050, and the import ban could hand U.S. makers a competitive edge. The Washington Post reports Trump’s sons have themselves moved into humanoids, investing in U.S.-based defense and robotics firms focused on domestic production.
Beijing pushed back. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated China’s opposition to Washington “overstretching the concept of national security” and urged the U.S. to correct what it calls discriminatory lists and the unjust suppression of Chinese companies, warning it will take necessary measures to defend their legitimate rights.
Source (Chinese original): Sohu IT
Translated and adapted from Sohu IT (it.sohu.com).