The United States government has banned imports of new humanoid robots made in China. The administration of the US president, Donald Trump, announced the ban on Tuesday, saying such robots pose an “unacceptable risk” to US national security.
The ban will apply to advanced robots, including humanoid robots and four-legged robots. Many of them are made in China. The United States and China are currently in intense competition over robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The US government’s communications regulator, the FCC, has also banned imports of power inverters used in data centres and solar power systems. The agency contends that these devices too could create a security risk for the US economy.
China’s embassy in Washington has criticised the decision. It said Beijing has consistently opposed giving commercial matters a political character and imposing bans on baseless pretexts.
The FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, said: “We are doing our duty to keep America’s critical supply chains secure.”
The FCC has added the products to its “covered list,” a list of products and services the agency considers a risk to national security.
The ban will apply only to new advanced robots and power inverters made abroad. It will have no effect on the sale or import of models that already have FCC approval and are already on the market.
The FCC fears that if foreign-made power inverters are used, foreign companies could shut them down remotely, steal data and carry out surveillance. Individuals or groups connected with foreign governments could even misuse the devices through cyber attacks.
China’s embassy in Washington also said Beijing would “take all necessary measures” in response to any step that harms China’s interests.
It said all countries should work together on developing artificial intelligence technology for positive and publicly beneficial uses. The Chinese embassy also called on the United States to “abandon its hegemonic mindset and stop the smear campaign and threats of sanctions against Chinese companies.”
The BBC contacted China’s leading robot manufacturers Unitree, UBTech and AgiBot for comment.
The Trump administration is trying to reduce the trade deficit with China, the world’s second largest economy. China’s exports to the United States are therefore now under close scrutiny.
Although China is the world’s largest exporter of electric cars, high tariffs have all but closed the US market to its electric vehicles.
Washington has stopped the sale of advanced American semiconductors to China with the aim of protecting national security, slowing China’s military modernisation and maintaining the United States’ lead in artificial intelligence.
The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has also warned that sanctions could be imposed on China’s artificial intelligence companies over allegations of theft of American intellectual property.
In response, the Chinese government has said the progress of the country’s artificial intelligence technology is the result of its own research, effort and international cooperation.
The United States wants to avoid a repeat of the crisis created in global supply chains after China imposed restrictions on rare earth exports last year. These minerals are considered extremely important for the electronics industry.
China’s technology companies have built humanoid robots very quickly, for use in settings ranging from factories to homes.
Chinese companies brought their robots to market and began selling them to businesses and the public ahead of American rivals such as Elon Musk’s Tesla and Boston Dynamics.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report