Trump bans import of foreign humanoid robots over security concerns

The Trump administration has prohibited the import of foreign-made humanoid and quadrupedal robots, citing national security risks. A White House assessment concluded that these advanced "mobile robots," which mimic human and animal movement, could endanger critical infrastructure and the safety of U.S. residents.

This ban adds these robots to a list maintained by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which already includes certain drones and Chinese companies like Huawei. The decision aims to protect against increasing foreign threats and bolster domestic industries, as the U.S. government encourages local manufacturing of such technologies.

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China always firmly denounces the U.S. tendency to abusively invoke national security to curb Chinese companies.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning condemned the ban, calling it an "abuse of national security" to stifle Chinese businesses. She argued that such protectionist measures harm American companies and consumers rather than improving U.S. competitiveness.

The White House working group cited an incident where a French programmer allegedly accessed data from thousands of robotic vacuum cleaners made by the Chinese company DJI as an example of potential vulnerabilities. However, exemptions can be granted by the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. The FCC also added foreign-made power inverters to the restricted list.

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Protectionism does not improve American competitiveness at all; it only harms the interests of American companies and consumers.