The U.S. government, through its Federal Communications Commission, banned new imports of foreign-made humanoid robots, quadruped robots, and power inverters two days ago. This move, targeting Chinese technology, aims to protect domestic capital from international competition under the guise of national security. FCC chairperson Brendan Carr stated the action was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.”
The State's Hand
This ban extends a series of U.S. restrictions on Chinese products, including drones, and limits on U.S. advanced technology exports to China. Washington is also considering controls on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models. These measures come as Chinese AI firms continue to expand their market presence globally. The Pentagon recently included Unitree, a major Chinese robotics company, on a list of firms it claims have ties to the Chinese military, a claim Beijing has rejected.
Protecting Domestic Capital
China currently dominates the global market for humanoid robots, holding an estimated 85% market share. Chinese manufacturers have rapidly scaled production and reduced costs, outpacing most overseas competitors. In 2025, Chinese companies Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped over 5,000 humanoid robots, while U.S. counterparts like Tesla and Figure AI shipped only a few hundred or less, according to Omdia. Morgan Stanley analysts project China's humanoid market could reach $15 billion by 2030.
Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li confirmed that restricting Chinese access to the U.S. market removes an "important future market" for them. Crucially, he noted, it "protects U.S. developers from potential price competition." This protection allows U.S. tech firms to maintain higher profit margins without the pressure of lower-cost foreign alternatives. However, Li also predicted the ban won't "materially slow China’s overall humanoid development," given its large domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets. Another Morningstar analyst, Cheng Wang, indicated the pressure on U.S. markets from power inverter restrictions should be limited, as the ban does not affect existing devices or previously approved models.
Capital's Contradictions
The U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned last week that "sanctions" could be considered if Chinese labs "cross the line into IP theft." This threat follows claims from some senior Trump administration officials that China’s Moonshot AI covertly used U.S. rivals to train its Kimi K3 model, allegations Moonshot has denied.
Meanwhile, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg argued against blocking Chinese artificial intelligence. He told the Financial Times that a U.S. ban wouldn't be "an effective solution" for gaining an advantage. Zuckerberg suggested U.S. companies should instead "systematically" identify bottlenecks and roadblocks to better compete. His comments highlight a division within the capitalist class: some favor direct state intervention to shield profits, while others prefer to sharpen the competitive edge of U.S. capital through internal adjustments. Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia, pointed out that these new bans could disrupt existing collaborations, citing Nvidia's June revelation of a humanoid robot design using Unitree's chassis.
China’s Foreign Ministry, through spokesperson Mao Ning, accused Washington of "overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies." Speaking in Beijing one day ago, Ning stated that "protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers." Beijing has pledged to take "all measures necessary" to defend its businesses. These escalating measures are set to test relations ahead of a planned U.S. visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later in 2026.