The United States has announced a ban on the import of foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots in a move which will likely exclude Chinese manufacturers from the US market and could strain tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Tuesday that ‘advanced robotic devices’ produced abroad posed national and cyber security risks to the United States.

The decision was based on findings from a White House task force which concluded that foreign-built robots could create ‘a cybersecurity risk that threatens the security of critical infrastructure’ and ‘the safety and security’ of US residents.

The FCC defines the relevant mobile robots as devices weighing more than two kilograms that use sensors, network connectivity and software to achieve autonomous navigation, including the avoidance of obstacles.

China dominates the market

The market for humanoid and quadruped (also known as four-legged ‘robot dogs’) is seen as a major international growth area, with US and Chinese companies competing to develop the technology.

And China has a clear lead, with analysts at Barclays estimating that Chinese-made humanoid robots account for around 85% of the global market share. Morgan Stanley experts predict that China’s humanoid robot market could be worth US$15bn by 2030.

“Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li told the Associated Press.

In the US, firms such as Figure AI are already deploying humanoid robots on production lines, while tech giant Tesla plans to begin production of its ‘Optimus’ robot this year.

Currently, however, US robot exports remain in their hundreds while Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China’s biggest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025 alone, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr said the ban was also aimed at ‘securing America’s critical supply chains’.

But Li said the measures would not ‘materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets’.

DW