The US foreign robotics ban took effect on July 28, when the Federal Communications Commission added foreign-produced mobile robots and networked power inverters to its Covered List. The move generally prevents new models from receiving the equipment authorization they need to be imported, marketed or sold in the United States, The Hacker News reported.
The decision is based on national security determinations sent to the FCC on July 27. It does not name a country or a brand. Instead, it applies to any device that does not qualify as a “domestic end product” under US Buy American rules, wherever its maker is based.
What the Covered List is
The Covered List is the FCC’s register of communications equipment and services considered a risk to US national security. It was created under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. Equipment on the list cannot receive new FCC authorizations, and without that authorization most electronic devices cannot legally be sold in the US.
This is the third time the FCC has added an entire category of products rather than specific companies. It did the same with foreign-produced drones in December 2025 and consumer routers in March 2026.
Which robots are covered
The definition is broad. A covered robot is a mobile device that can move on the ground, avoid obstacles or navigate, and can operate at a distance from a human operator. It must weigh more than 4.4 pounds (2 kg) including any dock, carry an environmental sensor such as a camera, communicate at 200 kbps or faster, and run software that controls movement or collects data. That software can include AI model weights.
The FCC’s fact sheet describes the category as “mobile robots, such as humanoids and quadrupeds,” but the rules reach further. Many household and commercial robots meet the thresholds. The FCC excluded connected road vehicles, rail equipment, drones, underwater vehicles, medical and mobility devices regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and fixed industrial robot arms.
Power inverters are the second category. An inverter converts direct current from solar panels or batteries into the alternating current used by the grid. The ban covers inverters with features for remote communication, control or monitoring.
What is not affected
The rule applies only to new models. People can keep using devices they already own, retailers can keep selling models that were authorized before, and federal agencies can still buy and use covered equipment.
The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology also issued a waiver the same day. It allows authorized robots and inverters to keep receiving software and firmware updates that “patch vulnerabilities and facilitate compatibility with different operating systems” until at least January 1, 2029, Security Affairs reported. Without it, the rules could have blocked security fixes for devices already in homes and businesses.
Manufacturers can still apply for conditional approval. The Department of War can approve robots, and the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security can approve inverters. Applications must be submitted by January 1, 2028.
The security case
The determination for robots cites published security research. One report described how a researcher could access camera feeds, microphone audio and floor-plan maps from thousands of household robots. Another, called UniPwn, documented Bluetooth flaws that gave researchers full control of several Unitree robot models and could spread to nearby devices. A third flaw could give anyone with the right key remote control of Unitree Go1 robot dogs. Unitree is the Chinese maker whose shares recently started trading publicly, as we covered in our report on the humanoid robot industry.
For inverters, the concern is the electricity grid. The determination warns that remote access could be used to shut devices down, collect data or support attacks on critical infrastructure. It cites research that found 46 flaws in products from Sungrow, SMA and Growatt, and one case in which a foreign manufacturer remotely disabled inverters after a dispute with a US distributor. The FCC does not claim that any active attack against deployed robots or inverters has been confirmed. It presents the ban as prevention.
Why it matters for businesses
For robot makers and importers, the US market for new models is now largely closed to anything produced abroad unless it wins government approval. That raises the value of US manufacturing for robotics companies and favours domestic producers.
The inverter rule may have a bigger economic effect. Solar and battery projects rely heavily on imported inverters, and installers will need to plan around approved models or domestic suppliers. That could raise costs for clean energy projects in the short term.
Our take
The security concerns are real: connected robots with cameras and microphones, and inverters that can be switched off remotely, are attractive targets. But a ban defined by where a product is made, rather than by how secure it is, is a blunt tool. A domestically made robot with weak security is still a risk, and the rule does nothing about it. The better long-term answer would be security standards that apply to every connected device, wherever it is built. Until then, the ban is as much industrial policy as cybersecurity.