The U.S. distributor of some of China's most popular humanoid robots is changing its business strategy after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) restricted new foreign-made advanced robotic devices. RoboStore, which distributes robots including models from Chinese manufacturers such as Unitree, says the policy has accelerated plans to manufacture robots in the United States rather than depend entirely on Chinese imports.
The FCC's measure covers a broad category of advanced robotic devices, including humanoid robots, quadrupeds and other mobile robots with sensors, network connectivity and onboard or cloud-based AI. The administration argues that foreign-made robots could create cybersecurity and national-security risks because they collect environmental and potentially sensitive data and could potentially be remotely controlled. The restriction therefore affects not only Chinese companies but many foreign manufacturers, although China is clearly one of its primary targets.
For RoboStore, the restriction creates both a problem and an opportunity. Chinese manufacturers have become major players because they can produce capable robots at relatively low prices and at large scale. Unitree, for example, reportedly sold thousands of humanoid robots in 2025, while Chinese companies collectively accounted for the overwhelming majority of global humanoid shipments. The distributor's response is to explore U.S.-based manufacturing and assembly, potentially allowing it to continue serving American customers while reducing exposure to import restrictions.
The broader significance is that the U.S.-China technology competition is expanding from chips and AI models into physical AI. Humanoid robots combine AI, sensors, motors, batteries, connectivity and manufacturing expertise, making their supply chains strategically important. The FCC restrictions could encourage a domestic U.S. robotics industry, but they may also make affordable Chinese robotics hardware harder to access and potentially slow experimentation by American researchers and startups. The RoboStore pivot illustrates the emerging strategy: rather than simply abandoning Chinese robotics technology, companies may increasingly try to separate the software and robotic designs they sell from the foreign manufacturing supply chains that U.S. regulators consider risky.
