After banning foreign-made Wi-Fi routers and drones, the FCC cites a White House order to claim that foreign-made advanced robots and power inverters also pose a security risk.
The US ban on foreign-made tech is expanding from drones and Wi-Fi routers to humanoid robots and power inverters.
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced the ban, which targets “advanced robotic devices” including mobile robots, humanoid bots, and dog-like quadrupeds.
“Today’s action does not impact a consumer’s continued use of devices they previously acquired,” the FCC noted. “Nor does it prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market relevant models approved previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process.” Still, the ban will block any new foreign-made humanoid robots or power inverters from receiving the necessary clearance to sell in the US.
The ban comes from the White House, which determined on Monday that both foreign-made power inverters and advanced robots pose a national security risk to the US.
Inverters were flagged because they support “remote connectivity,” creating a potential vulnerability that could allow a foreign country to shut down the equipment or secretly hack US facilities. Last month, Reuters reported the Trump administration was drafting the ban, citing the threat of foreign-made power inverters being connected to solar projects and batteries in the US electric grid.
The inverters, which convert direct current to alternating current electricity, are mainly manufactured outside the US, with only 7% of shipments coming from domestic suppliers, the White House’s report found. The majority come from Europe, Japan, and China.
On the advanced robots, the White House pointed to the potential spying threat since the machines are outfitted with sensors and can be remotely controlled. “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,” the Trump administration’s national security determination says.
The document adds that “the United States must have an independent and resilient robotics supply chain and industrial base.”
The ban on advanced robots deals a crippling blow to Chinese robots, which have gained popularity, particularly on social media. Chinese company Unitree has been selling its humanoid in the US through resellers. But the Trump administration review cites a news report alleging that Unitree robots contain an alleged backdoor.
Like with the drone and Wi-Fi router ban, the FCC’s rules include a way for companies to apply for a temporary waiver. The US Defense Department or Department of Homeland Security will review the application for potential approval. However, the guidelines require applicants to outline their plans to bring their manufacturing to the US, including projected capital expenditures.
The FCC has published an FAQ. It doesn’t explicitly mention robot vacuums, but it does sound like the product type would fall under the ban. The FCC defines the advanced robotic devices as “autonomous mobile robots” that are capable of navigation, weigh more than 4.4 pounds, can operate at a distance from the human, and feature sensors, connectivity and computing. We’ve reached out to the Commission, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.
The same FAQ suggests a US-made robot or inverter containing too many foreign-made components would fall under the ban. A federal rule defines a “domestic end product” as one that contains US-made components valued at more than 65% of the total device. In 2029. the ratio increases to 70%.
The FCC also says the ban “does not impact purchase or use by the federal government at all.”
The ban may seem odd considering the FCC usually governs communications. But increasingly, all kinds of electronics rely on wireless technology, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Hence, the FCC is already positioned to act as a gatekeeper. Still, the decision to ban foreign-made drones and routers months earlier has raised concerns that the Trump administration could expand the prohibition to more foreign tech, which proved true with Tuesday’s announcement.
The widening ban promises to encourage domestic manufacturing, but critics fear it could deprive US consumers of innovative technology while raising costs for affected products.
