Can you still buy a Chinese humanoid robot in the US? Yes — with a catch.
The short answer as of August 2026: models already holding FCC equipment authorization can still be sold in the United States. New models from covered foreign manufacturers cannot obtain that authorization through the normal route — which means the robot you can buy today may be the last version of it you can buy.
That distinction is doing a great deal of work, and most coverage has flattened it into "China robots banned," which is not what happened. Here is the actual position, what is still pending, and what a buyer should do about it.
What the FCC actually did on 28 July 2026
The Federal Communications Commission added foreign-made <strong>advanced robotic devices</strong> to its Covered List. The category encompasses humanoid robots and quadruped systems — the machines commonly called robot dogs.
The mechanism matters more than the headline. Almost any device with a radio in it — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular — requires FCC equipment authorization before it can be lawfully marketed or imported into the United States. Placing a category on the Covered List means new equipment authorizations will not be granted through the normal process, absent an exemption or conditional approval.
The stated concerns are national security: cybersecurity exposure, surveillance and data collection potential, remote access to devices operating in sensitive environments, and supply chain dependence. On paper the measure applies to foreign-made devices generally. In practice, and as widely reported, China is the target.
What it does NOT do
This is where most summaries go wrong, and where a buyer needs precision.
<strong>It is not retroactive.</strong> Devices that already hold FCC authorization can remain on the US market. Nobody is confiscating robots that have already been sold, and dealers holding certified stock can continue selling it.
<strong>It is not a blanket import ban.</strong> The restriction operates through equipment authorization rather than through customs prohibition. Unitree, for example, has stated that its existing certified humanoids and quadrupeds are not immediately shut out of the US market.
<strong>It is not the end of the story.</strong> Future models are the exposure. A manufacturer whose current generation is certified faces a real question about whether its next generation can be sold in the United States at all.
The practical position for a buyer
If you are considering a Chinese humanoid or quadruped for commercial use in the US, the questions have changed shape.
<strong>Is this specific model FCC-authorized?</strong> Not the manufacturer — the model, and the exact variant. Ask for the FCC ID and verify it. A model authorized in one configuration may not cover the one you are buying.
<strong>What happens to support and parts?</strong> A platform that cannot ship its successor into the US is a platform whose ecosystem here may thin out. Ask about parts availability and service commitments in writing.
<strong>What is the resale position?</strong> Restricted-supply certified units could hold value unusually well, or become orphaned. Both outcomes are plausible and the honest answer is that nobody knows yet.
<strong>Where will it operate?</strong> Even where private purchase remains lawful, sites with government, defence or critical infrastructure connections may have their own restrictions arriving separately.
The GUARD Act: introduced, not law
The Guarding the US Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance Act was introduced in June 2026 with bipartisan support. It would establish a formal process for scrutinising robots manufactured by China and other foreign adversaries, and potentially prohibiting their importation where a national security threat is determined.
It is worth being precise about status, because reporting has blurred it. <strong>The full GUARD Act has not become law.</strong> What has advanced is narrower: on 22 July 2026 the House passed its version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act containing a GUARD Act provision directing the Pentagon to begin determining whether Chinese robots should be banned nationwide.
A directive to study and determine is not a ban. It is, however, the step that typically precedes one, and the direction of travel is not ambiguous.
The Humanoid ROBOT Act: federal procurement
A separate measure targets government purchasing rather than private sale. The Humanoid ROBOT Act would prohibit federal executive agencies from purchasing humanoid robots designed, tested, developed or manufactured by covered entities, and would prohibit federal contractors from using such robots to perform government contracts. Waivers for national security and research purposes are contemplated.
For most commercial buyers this is not directly binding. For anyone holding federal contracts, or hoping to, it is the provision that matters most — because it reaches your operations rather than just your purchases.
Why this is happening now
The commercial context explains the policy urgency. Chinese humanoid production has scaled to a degree that was not true even two years ago.
Unitree reported delivering approximately 18,000 bipedal humanoid robots through July 2026, and has been preparing to trade on Shanghai’s STAR Market after raising roughly 6.1 billion yuan. Reuters has reported the United States accounting for as much as 19.54% of Unitree revenue in reporting periods — which is precisely the exposure the restrictions address.
AgiBot reported reaching 15,000 humanoid robots produced by June 2026. Industry research firm TrendForce has forecast Chinese humanoid output rising roughly 94% across 2026, with Unitree and AgiBot together accounting for close to 80% of Chinese shipments.
Those are manufacturing numbers, not demonstration numbers. The policy response is to a supply chain that already exists at scale.
What it means for US manufacturers
The restrictions create something close to a regulatory moat around the domestic humanoid industry, at a moment when that industry is still scaling.
The competitive problem American manufacturers faced was cost. Chinese humanoids have been dramatically cheaper than comparable US systems, and volume manufacturing widens that gap rather than closing it. Restricting the cheaper platform changes the calculus for buyers who were choosing on price.
Whether that produces a stronger US industry or simply a more expensive one is the open question. Protection buys time; it does not by itself produce manufacturing capacity.
What to watch next
Three things will determine where this settles.
<strong>Whether the GUARD Act passes in full</strong>, and what the Pentagon determination directed by the NDAA provision concludes.
<strong>Whether exemption or conditional approval routes emerge</strong> at the FCC. A category on the Covered List is not always absolute, and how the exceptions work will decide whether the market closes or narrows.
<strong>Whether manufacturers restructure</strong>. Manufacturing location, ownership structure and joint ventures are all levers, and companies with substantial US revenue have strong incentive to pull them.