The Trump administration has unveiled bans that target imports of new Chinese robots and power inverters, seeking to protect the US AI buildout from national security threats and re-shore key industries slated for explosive growth.
The Federal Communications Commission released the measures, which bar Chinese imports of new humanoid and quadruped robots, in addition to connected power inverters, which enable renewable energy sources and batteries to connect to grids and data centre equipment.
The restrictions show the Trump administration is aiming to safeguard the US artificial intelligence supply chain from Chinese threats of disruption, data theft and cyberattacks, while also driving firms to shift manufacturing to the US.
“These devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities that could disrupt US economic and national security and could create a cybersecurity risk that threatened American critical infrastructure,” the FCC said in a statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing “urges the United States to heed the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries” and “stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.”
