FCC bars new foreign-made mobile robots from US authorisation

FCC bars new foreign-made mobile robots from US authorisation

28 July 2026: The US Federal Communications Commission has added foreign-produced "advanced robotic devices" to its Covered List, which means a new model made outside the United States can no longer receive the equipment authorisation it needs to be imported, marketed or sold there. Robots the FCC has already authorised are untouched, and so is the use of anything a customer has bought.

What counts as an advanced robotic device

The FCC follows a definition written by the national security agencies. It covers a mechanical mobile device, including autonomous mobile robots, humanoids and quadrupeds, that moves on the ground, operates at a distance from a human supervisor, and weighs more than 4.4 pounds counting any docking or ground station. It must also contain a sensor that perceives its surroundings, a component with network connectivity of at least 200 kbps in either direction, and software that controls navigation, movement or data collection.

The exclusions are broad. Connected vehicles, rail vehicles, uncrewed aircraft, uncrewed underwater vehicles, FDA-regulated medical devices and fixed, stationary robots such as articulated, delta, gantry and SCARA arms are all outside the rule. The FAQ adds some awkward cases: automated guided vehicles that follow fixed paths may be covered, and so are pool-cleaning robots that also run above the waterline. A bare platform with no compute, sensors or radios is not covered until someone adds them.

Foreign-produced is judged by cost of parts

The test for "foreign-produced" is the Buy American definition of a domestic end product: manufactured in the United States, with domestic components above 65 percent of cost for items delivered through 2028 and above 75 percent from 2029. Off-the-shelf components count towards that total. The nationality of the maker is irrelevant, so a European company building in the United States can qualify while an American brand assembling abroad cannot. Small batches may still be imported for development or testing if they are not marketed or sold, and sales to federal agencies are exempt.

The conditional approval route

Producers, designers or anyone else involved in making a device can ask for a Conditional Approval by emailing conditional-approvals@fcc.gov; the application is passed to the Department of War, which decides. Approvals can cover a class of devices, and approved products will be listed on the FCC website. Without one, an applicant for certification must be able to show the device was not produced abroad. Robots on the list can still receive basic software and firmware updates under a waiver.

How the industry has reacted

IEEE Spectrum, which reported on 4 August, found mixed views. Brendan Schulman, Boston Dynamics' vice president of policy, wrote that he senses "this is just the first round in a series of policies that will define the success and growth of the industry for decades to come". Gavin Kenneally, chief executive of Ghost Robotics, told the magazine that "Active and purposeful spyware is deployed inside the U.S. on Chinese robots." Philipp Frey of ANYbotics, the Swiss quadruped maker, said the company plans to apply for conditional approval of future products.

The FCC describes the action as country neutral, but Spectrum's national security sources said China is the target, and China's Ministry of Commerce called the measures discriminatory. Spectrum also notes that China supplies many components even for robots assembled in America, which keeps leverage in any negotiation until supply chains diversify.

For importers and makers the practical line is the authorisation date. A model already holding an FCC ID or a declaration of conformity carries on; a successor model built abroad starts from zero.

Related on TrustList:

• China's five-year plan puts AI-powered robots at its centre
• CBP proposes bonds and a $1,000 damages floor for low-value imports
• USTR asks US firms what the EU carbon border levy costs them

Sources

• FCC: FCC Adds Foreign-Produced Power Inverters and Robots to Covered List, 28 July 2026
• FCC: FAQs on Recent Updates to FCC Covered List Regarding Foreign-Produced Advanced Robotic Devices and Power Inverters (read 2026-10-17), 17 October 2026
• IEEE Spectrum: What Robotics Companies Think About the U.S. Foreign Robot Ban, 4 August 2026