The US Federal Communications Commission banned imports of new foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots, along with connected power inverters, on July 28, citing national security risks. The move targets Chinese manufacturers Unitree, AGIBOT and UBTech, which together control an estimated 85% of the global humanoid robot market; roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in 2025.
The FCC cited confirmed backdoors in Unitree hardware already deployed at MIT, Princeton and Carnegie Mellon, including "UniPwn," a Bluetooth exploit that grants root-level access to the company's Go2, B2, G1 and H1 robots. Existing devices and federal government purchases are exempt, and waivers remain available through the Department of War or Homeland Security.
China's Foreign Ministry called the move protectionist, warning it "will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers." The ban lands weeks ahead of a planned September meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi, and follows Unitree's first commercial robot launch in Europe on July 22.