The Trump administration has banned imports of foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns. The move is seen as action against China.
“I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign produced advanced robotics and power inverters to the FCC’s Covered List,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement this week.
The FCC Chair added that the commission took these actions in an effort to “secure America’s critical supply chains.”
“Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will continue to do our part to secure America’s critical supply chains and, with today’s action, the FCC is acting in lock step with our national security agencies to do just that,” Carr said.
The devices in question have now been added to the FCC’s Covered List, which has been updated to include two new categories of “advanced robotic devices.”
The banned products are defined as mobile robots — such as humanoid robots and quadruped robots — as well as connected power inverters produced in foreign countries.
These foreign-made products, the FCC said, “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.”
The FCC noted it is allowed to add products to the Covered List “only at the direction of national security authorities.”
“In other words, the Commission cannot update this list on its own and is required to implement determinations that are made by our national security agency experts,” the federal agency said.
Currently, China dominates the market in humanoid robots, with analysts estimating that Chinese-made humanoid robots account for around 85 percent of the global market share, according to a report by the Associated Press.
“We must protect our country by keeping out Chinese robots with backdoors that share sensitive data with the CCP,” Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chair of the House Select Committee on China, said in a Tuesday statement.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responded by declaring it will take “all measures necessary” to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses, according to multiple reports.
“Protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.