HONG KONG (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. said on Tuesday it would ban the import of foreign-made humanoid robots in a move that targets China, arguing they pose a national security risk.The decision could strain bilateral relations as the technology race between the two world leaders advances. China makes substantially more humanoid robots than the U.S. and other competitors, and analysts estimate that Chinese humanoid robots’ global market share has reached roughly 85%.The FCC’s ban includes new imports of humanoid robots, quadrupeds – often referred to as four-legged robot dogs – as well as foreign-made power inverters.In making the decision, the FCC said these advanced robots produced in foreign countries pose supply chain vulnerabilities to the U.S. as well as cybersecurity and national security risks.
FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said in a statement that the move was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.”The United States has been taking steps to keep Chinese technology out with recent bans on imports, including of Chinese-made drones. The U.S. is also weighing restrictions on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models, at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground.“It’s a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September following their mid-May meeting in Beijing.
