China threatens retaliation against U.S. humanoid robot ...
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Key takeaways
- The United States has just imposed a ban on new foreign‑made humanoid (and quadruped) robots, citing “unacceptable risks” that such devices could be used to collect data for hostile intelligence services or be remotely commandeered; the Federal Communications Commission says the move is aimed at China, which supplied roughly 85 % of global humanoid robot deployments last year.
- Industry analysts warn the restriction could hamper U.S. innovation by cutting off cheap, test‑bed platforms while also threatening Chinese manufacturers that were planning IPOs and could prompt retaliatory limits on rare‑earth exports and market access for U.S. firms.
- Experts note the ban may also sweep up Canadian and European robots, raising broader concerns for the sector.
- Meanwhile, Chinese automaker BYD has confirmed it will unveil its first humanoid robot in August, joining other Chinese firms such as Aimoga, SAIC‑GM and Xpeng in expanding into the humanoid market.
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Tech —CNBC's Matthew Tan contributed to this report.
Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news. The ministry urged the U.S. to withdraw the decision, and threatened countermeasures if it failed to do so.
"This is bad news for Chinese humanoid producers planning their IPOs in the coming months," said Marc Einstein, a research director at Counterpoint Research. "The two major cards China can play are to further restrict rare earth sales to American companies and further restricting Chinese market access for American companies like Tesla and NVIDIA."
The commerce ministry's statement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. Tensions over the tech race have meanwhile intensified, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the U.S. could sanction China over AI model "theft."
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