The United States has decided to restrict the entry of Chinese Humanoid Robot and quadruped robots (hereafter robot dogs) and new models of power inverters into the U.S. market. It is a measure to protect the artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. U.S. technology curbs on China, which had focused on semiconductors and advanced equipment, are expanding to AI robots and power infrastructure.
Reuters reported on the 28th that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced measures to limit import and sales certification in the United States for Chinese Humanoid Robot and robot dogs and new models of power inverters. Power inverters are key devices that connect renewable energy facilities such as solar and batteries and data center power equipment to the power grid.
The FCC said it is concerned that if those products are used in core infrastructure such as the U.S. power grid and communications network, they could undermine supply chain security and be exploited for data leaks or cyberattacks. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said, "We will continue to take steps to protect America's critical supply chains."
The measure takes effect immediately but is expected to apply to new models that have not yet been released. However, the FCC noted that even for products already approved for sale in the United States, it can revoke certification if necessary. As with the recently strengthened regulations on drones and telecommunications equipment, it is also reportedly reviewing ways to grant considerable exceptions to non-Chinese companies.
Through this measure, the Trump administration aims to protect the AI supply chain from the risks of Chinese data theft and network disruption while expanding domestic production of key manufacturing. The U.S. government believes that Humanoid Robot and power inverters could also pose national security risks if dependence on specific countries grows, citing examples such as China using rare earth export controls as a diplomatic bargaining chip.
Chinese Humanoid Robot company Unitree is cited as the corporation likely to be most affected by the regulation. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Unitree holds about 20% of the global Humanoid Robot market share. It is also pushing to develop AI robots based on Nvidia's Blackwell. The U.S. government is concerned that these robots could leak data collected on industrial sites to China or be misused for remote manipulation.
In the power inverter sector, Chinese solar inverter manufacturer Sungrow and telecommunications and power equipment company Huawei are expected to be primarily affected. The United States has been considering introducing regulations with the possibility in mind that Chinese-made inverters could have malware installed or be misused to disrupt the power grid. With this measure, U.S. supply chain restrictions on China surrounding AI data centers and power infrastructure are expected to expand further.