FCC’s new robot rules demand 65% U.S. parts, but supply chain isn’t ready
The FCC has expanded its Covered List, the national security roster that previously pushed Huawei and ZTE out of American markets, to include advanced robotic devices. Humanoids, quadrupeds, robot vacuums, and even lawn mowers can no longer enter the U.S. market unless they are assembled domestically and draw at least 65% of their component value from within the country, a threshold set to rise to 75% by 2029. Existing products already on sale are unaffected, and robots imported strictly for research and development remain exempt for now. Though the rule names no specific country, it is widely understood as a direct response to Chinese dominance in the space, Chinese-made humanoids account for nearly 90% of units sold worldwide in 2025, according to research firm Omdia.
The problem, as robotics startups are quick to point out, is that the domestic supply chain simply does not exist at the scale the rule demands. The motors, sensors, and actuators that robots depend on are often too expensive, too slow to procure, or flatly unavailable from U.S. suppliers. The situation has become acute enough that employees at some companies have reportedly flown components in from China in their luggage just to keep prototypes moving. Michael Perry of Persona AI captured the industry’s frustration plainly: “You need to provide the carrot as well as the stick.” Not everyone is opposed, Oregon-based Agility Robotics and San Francisco’s Nori Robotics both welcome the pressure, seeing it as long-term protection against cheaper Chinese competition.
China’s grip on robotics manufacturing is the product of decades of state investment, a large engineering workforce, and a mature supply chain built alongside its electric-vehicle industry, and it will not loosen quickly. Whether U.S. policy can accelerate domestic alternatives fast enough to meet its own deadlines is a question the industry will be answering in real time over the next several years.
