Humanoid Robots Part 2: China's Playbook for Building Its Own Robot Supply Chain
China’s humanoid robot industry entered a phase of rapid growth in 2025, with companies such as Unitree and AgiBot each shipping over a thousand units that year.
Key takeaways
- In early August 2026 a wave of developments reshaped the humanoid‑robot landscape.
- Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology, GenerativeBionics and the University of Manchester unveiled the human‑aware “ergoCub,” a new humanoid that can adapt its movements during shared lifting tasks, aiming to reduce back strain for human partners.
- At the same time, the U.S.
- Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of foreign‑made humanoid and quadruped robots—targeting especially Chinese manufacturers such as Unitree—citing national‑security and supply‑chain risks.
- Chinese robot maker Unitree responded by pricing an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, seeking roughly $900 million and valuing the company at about $9 billion, while highlighting the commercial appeal of its humanoids that have become viral for feats like kung‑fu performances.
Buyer next steps
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China’s humanoid robot industry entered a phase of rapid growth in 2025, with companies such as Unitree and AgiBot each shipping over a thousand units that year. According to TrendForce, China’s 2026 production volume is expected to account for nearly 70% of the global total. Driven by government policy, the industry is moving toward standardization and use-case segmentation, facilitating subsequent model training and data collection while providing a cohesive framework for industry development.
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