Trump Administration Bans New Chinese Humanoid Robots, to Protect US AI Buildout
U.S. News & World Report Trump Administration Bans New Chinese Humanoid Robots, to Protect US AI Buildout Reuters Reuters A humanoid robot at a robotics laboratory during a government-organized media trip in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, April 16, 2...
Key takeaways
- The United States has enacted a comprehensive ban on new imports of foreign‑made humanoid robots, with the Trump administration citing national‑security risks and concerns that Chinese robots could gather sensitive data and supply it back to Beijing.
- The ban, announced on July 28, 2026, also covers four‑legged robots and foreign power inverters used in data centres, reflecting fears that such components could undermine U.S.
- In the wake of the ban, Chinese robot makers—particularly Unitree, which has partnered with Nvidia to use the Blackwell chip—are preparing to go public, while other firms like UBTech, AgiBot, Leju Robotics, and DEEP Robotics have filed for listings on Hong Kong and mainland exchanges.
- Meanwhile, the industry’s rapid pace continues: a Chinese humanoid robot won a Beijing half‑marathon in early 2026, and the World AI Conference in Shanghai showcased a fleet of Chinese humanoid robots, underscoring the country’s dominant 85 % share of the global market.
- U.S. investors are taking notice; Morgan Stanley and Barclays have projected that the humanoid sector could reach $5 trillion by 2050 and $200 billion by 2035, with Hightower’s chief strategist encouraging clients to explore opportunities, especially as Amazon’s 2025 shareholder letter hinted at the company’s deployment of a million robots.
U.S. News & World Report
Reuters
Reuters
A humanoid robot at a robotics laboratory during a government-organized media trip in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
By Alexandra Alper and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled bans that target imports of new Chinese robots and power inverters, seeking to protect the U.S. AI buildout from national security threats and reshore key industries slated for explosive growth. Some analysts forecast broad adoption of humanoid robots, topped with AI-enabled "brains," in consumer and industrial arenas, while explosive data-center construction in the U.S. will depend on reliable sources of inverters.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Chinese AI firms could face U.S. sanctions for stealing U.S. intellectual property.
U.S. officials are also keen to avoid another scenario as happened with rare earth minerals — critical inputs for tech manufacturing so dominated by China that Beijing has been able to leverage access to them to secure big wins on the international stage.
FCC LIKELY TO EXEMPT NON-CHINESE SUPPLIERS The firm, which is one of three Chinese companies dominating the nascent but buzzy industry, was recently added to the Pentagon's list of alleged Chinese military-backed companies, which can be a harbinger of tougher U.S. action.
Unitree recently formed a partnership with Nvidia to use the AI chip company's cutting-edge Blackwell chip to power the brain of a Unitree robot. Nvidia has said data from the robots will remain in the U.S. and that Unitree's biggest customers are U.S. academic and research institutions.
China hawks fear the robots could spy on key U.S. industries, extracting data and sending it to Beijing or disrupting critical functions.
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