The US Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday expanded its Covered List to include two new categories of equipment — advanced robotic devices, including humanoid and quadruped robots, and connected power inverters — effectively barring new models from receiving the authorisation generally required before electronic devices can be imported, marketed or sold in the United States. The measures took effect upon publication and apply to products made in any foreign country, though sources uniformly identify Chinese manufacturers such as Unitree Robotics, Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei as the principal targets. The FCC said the devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities capable of disrupting US economic and national security, and could pose cybersecurity risks to American critical infrastructure. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the commission 'will continue to do its part to secure America's critical supply chains.' [Source: Reuters]

The designation applies only to robot and inverter models that have not yet been released. Devices previously authorised through the FCC's equipment-authorisation process may continue to be imported, marketed, sold and used in the United States, and the action does not affect any previously purchased devices. The FCC retains authority, however, to revoke authorisations for models already approved for sale. The order also provides for a Conditional Approval pathway — administered by the Department of War in the case of robots and the Department of Homeland Security in the case of inverters — for devices found not to pose an unacceptable risk. The FCC designation does not restrict federal agencies from purchasing or operating the covered devices. The findings underpinning the action were issued by a White House-convened interagency body that included national security agencies, though the commission did not identify the body or disclose which agencies participated [Source: Nextgov/FCW].

The ban lands as Chinese robotics firms have posted rapid commercial expansion. Unitree shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in fiscal year 2025 and reported revenue of approximately 1.699 billion yuan, representing a 335% year-over-year increase; its IPO prospectus claimed a 32.4% share of global humanoid unit shipments, though analyst firm Omdia credits rival AgiBot with 5,168 units and a 39% share [Source: TechTimes]. Unitree launched commercially in Europe on 22 July 2026, becoming the first Chinese-made humanoid to enter Western commercial markets. Hong Kong-listed UBTech Robotics posted approximately 2 billion yuan in revenue for a comparable period. On the inverter side, China is the world's largest maker of inverters, led by Sungrow and Huawei, and Beijing has been expanding its share in the Western inverter market. Some analysts have noted that explosive data-centre construction in the US will depend on reliable sources of inverters [Source: Reuters]. US-listed names with exposure to the robotics and inverter sectors include Tesla (TSLA), Symbotic (SYM), Enphase Energy (ENPH), SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG) and Nvidia (NVDA).

The FCC's Covered List framework has a documented history of reshaping technology supply chains. The commission first used the authority in March 2021 against Huawei, ZTE and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology. The same mechanism subsequently shut Huawei out of US telecom networks, grounded DJI's drone business in December 2025, and blocked new Chinese-made consumer routers in March 2026 [Source: TechTimes]. Unitree had already faced separate restrictions: the Pentagon formally designated it a Chinese military company under Section 1260H on 8 June 2026, barring it from US defence contracts. Congress had also moved on the issue, with Representatives John Moolenaar, Jay Obernolte and Jennifer McClellan introducing the bipartisan GUARD Act on 3 June 2026, which would have directed national security agencies to review adversary-produced humanoid and quadruped robots for security risks. Representative Moolenaar said Tuesday's FCC move 'protects our country and strengthens our nation's robotics industry' [Source: Reuters]. Authorities said they sought to avoid a repeat of the Volt Typhoon campaign, revealed in 2023, in which attackers linked to the Chinese government took control of privately owned routers to conceal subsequent attacks on American critical infrastructure. The FCC is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions, consistent with its approach to recent bans on foreign drones and routers. The Chinese embassy in Washington, Unitree, Sungrow and Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sources: Reuters, South China Morning Post, Nextgov/FCW, Forbes, TechTimes, Detroit News, US News & World Report