Experts Call FCC's Block on Foreign Robotics a Nearshoring Tactic

Following the Trump administration's move to block the sale of advanced industrial robots from countries outside the United States, experts are weighing in on the implications of this decision.

The FCC's update to its covered list, which includes imports of mobile robots and connected power inverters, has been met with support from some experts who see it as a necessary move for cybersecurity reasons. However, others believe that the ban is a tactic to drive domestic production and nearshoring of robotics.

Robert Little, a business development advisor and former chief of robotics strategy at Novanta, said that the move was initially necessary for cybersecurity reasons. However, after looking at the FCC's similar action regarding drones and drone parts, he believes that the recent ban is also a mechanism to drive domestic production of humanoids and mobile robots.

"That's its ultimate purpose," Little said. "And I think it can be effective."

The U.S. is considered one of the global robotics leaders when it comes to investor capital, fueled by surging interest in AI, foundation model research, and robotics systems. However, there is a widening gap between the number of robots manufactured by U.S. companies versus Chinese competitors.

| Country | Number of Robots Installed in 2024 | | --- | --- | | China | 295,000 | | United States | | | World | |

According to the International Federation of Robotics, China installed 295,000 robots in 2024, representing more than half of the world's market share. While preliminary 2025 numbers have not been released yet for China, the group estimated that installations are about ten times higher than the U.S.

To address the issue, the Association for Advancing Automation has urged Congress to consider adopting a national robotics strategy that includes subsidies, tax incentives, and other means to drive domestic adoption and production of U.S. robots.

The FCC's move creates a runway for domestic companies to become more competitive, Little said. Then if the restrictions are lifted in the next few years, "they'll be in a much better place."

Erik Nieves, founder and CEO of Plus One Robotics, said that he knew the Trump administration would put restrictions on China's robots but was surprised by the breadth of the FCC's ban. Rather than just targeting China, the move affected robotics from all other countries, including trade partners such as Japan, Germany, and South Korea.

"We would have preferred to see it be more circumspect, but you don't control what the government does," Nieves said. "If it's true that every action is an overreaction, that's what this is."

Some say the ban doesn't go far enough. In a recent LinkedIn post, Standard Bots CEO Evan Beard said that fixed industrial robot arms should be part of the FCC's covered list because, similar to mobile robots, they have a networked, sensing, actuated system and raise security risks.

"If you can't trust the components, you can't trust the robot," he wrote. Standard Bots, based in Glen Cove, New York, claims to be the largest AI-native industrial robot manufacturer in the U.S., with a focus on robotic arms.

The FCC's update is expected to have little impact on the manufacturing industry's digital transformation goals. Little said that the markets for humanoids and quadrupeds are still very young, and most U.S. manufacturers know the risk of purchasing products from China.

Autonomous mobile robots, known as AMRs, are a different story. These robots are widely used in warehouses to move objects from one place to another. U.S. companies are using AMRs from China and Europe, in part because it's cheaper to buy them from abroad, Little said.

The AMR market will see some disruption, he said. But the ban only impacts new products from other companies, not mobile robots currently in place with FCC licenses.

"They can continue to sell the old model while they maybe open up a manufacturing center in the U.S.," Little said. But if they see "it's not worth it, they'll just continue to sell the old model and the [U.S.] won't have access to the new model."

Whether the current administration expands its restrictions on robotics made in other countries remains to be seen. Earlier this month, China tightened its exports on drones to the U.S. and sanctioned multiple U.S. companies in retaliation to the FCC's update.

Nieves said that he wouldn't be surprised if the Trump administration directed more appropriations and funding to bolster the domestic robotics supply chain. Meanwhile, legislation targeting a ban on all robots from China is gaining traction in the next National Defense Authorization Act.

"If there's security implications, you have to take them seriously," Nieves said about the FCC's update. "And if getting a robot from China puts us at risk somehow, then maybe we don't need to do that. But I would not want to see a situation where any domestic industry got to relax because they didn't have to worry about innovation coming from Germany, Japan, South Korea or anywhere else.