China Vows Retaliation Over U.S. Ban on Robots and Power Inverters

BEIJING-China said on Thursday it would “resolutely retaliate” if the United States proceeds with new restrictions banning imports of certain Chinese-made robots and power inverters, escalating tensions between the world’s two largest economies over technology, supply chains and national security.

China’s Commerce Ministry urged Washington to immediately withdraw the measures, accusing the United States of discriminating against Chinese companies and abusing national security grounds to justify trade restrictions. The ministry said Beijing would take the necessary steps to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests if the measures were implemented.

The latest dispute follows action announced by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, which introduced restrictions on new imports of advanced Chinese robots, including quadruped robotic systems, and power inverters. The agency said the measures were intended to protect the United States’ artificial intelligence infrastructure, strengthen critical supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities associated with offshore manufacturing.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the restrictions apply to new versions of the affected products and are designed to secure industries considered vital to future economic and technological growth. The agency said advanced robotic systems could present cybersecurity and other national security risks, while reliance on overseas production could expose supply chains to disruption.

Power inverters, which convert direct current into alternating current, are widely used in renewable energy installations, data centres and household electrical equipment. Industry analysts said restrictions on future imports could have significant implications because of the products’ broad industrial and commercial applications.

Beijing rejected Washington’s justification, saying the FCC had ignored repeated Chinese representations while continuing to tighten restrictions on Chinese technology exports. The Commerce Ministry described the measures as market-distorting and unilateral, arguing that they would harm industries in both countries.

China’s Foreign Ministry also criticised the U.S. decision, accusing Washington of expanding the definition of national security to suppress Chinese businesses. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said protectionist policies would not improve U.S. competitiveness and would instead damage the interests of American companies and consumers.

The measures represent the latest in a series of U.S. actions targeting Chinese technology. Washington has previously imposed restrictions on imports of products such as drones and tightened controls on exports of advanced U.S. technology to China. U.S. authorities are also considering new controls on the use of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models as Chinese AI capabilities continue to expand.

Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank specialising in Chinese technology policy, said the restrictions add to a growing list of contentious issues ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.

China has significantly expanded investment in robotics as part of broader industrial policy initiatives. Morgan Stanley estimates the country’s humanoid robotics market could reach $15 billion by 2030.

Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li said Chinese manufacturers have increased production capacity and lowered costs more rapidly than many overseas competitors. While losing access to the U.S. market would remove an important export opportunity, he said it was unlikely to significantly slow China’s broader development because of its large domestic manufacturing base and access to other international markets.

According to technology research firm Omdia, China’s Unitree and AGIBOT each shipped more than 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, compared with only a few hundred units or fewer shipped by U.S. companies including Tesla and Figure AI.

Morningstar analyst Cheng Wang said the immediate impact of the inverter restrictions on the U.S. market could be limited because existing approved products remain unaffected. However, analysts said the measures could complicate future collaboration between American and Chinese technology firms.

One example is Nvidia, which announced in June a humanoid robot reference design built using a chassis supplied by China’s Unitree. The Pentagon has since included Unitree among several Chinese technology companies it says have links to the Chinese military, an allegation Beijing has denied.