The Trump administration is banning the import of new foreign-made humanoid robots, robot dogs and energy inverters, citing an “unacceptable” threat to national security. The measure largely affects imports from China, which currently has the vast majority of global market share.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the ban on Tuesday, stating that foreign-made devices could be remotely controlled or used for surveillance by foreign governments, or otherwise used in cyberattacks.

The FCC said exceptions would be granted if the government determines that a device does not pose a risk to U.S. national security.

The US government has long accused China of hacking US companies to steal data and prepare to launch future cyberattacks for its own military benefits, such as an early invasion of Taiwan. But the United States has also long warned that the risk that Chinese ownership alone could allow Beijing to force a company to spy on Americans or remotely manipulate its products. The United States government has similar legal powers.

Humanoid robots, the class of robots that move similarly to humans, are far from conventional and are still in their early stages of development. About 15,000 humanoid robots were shipped around the world in 2025, with each of China’s two largest robot makers accounting for the majority of those shipments.

Power inverters are much more commonly used in American homes to connect solar and other renewable energy systems to the broader electrical grid. Existing devices in homes and facilities are not affected by the ban, the FCC said.

The ban is the latest in a series of actions taken by the US government against China in recent years, including a government ban on TikTok that forced it into the hands of US investors, as well as bans on a wide range of foreign-made consumer routers and on Chinese surveillance equipment makers Hikvision and Dahua, which have been linked to human rights abuses.

Beijing rejected the FCC ban, and a Foreign Ministry spokesperson cited by the Associated Press said China will use “all necessary measures” to protect its businesses.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., during a state visit scheduled for September.