La Jornada: For “national security”, the EU bans the import of humanoid robots

New York. The Trump administration banned the importation of humanoid and quadruped robots into the United States for national security reasons.

Most humanoid robots sold in the United States are manufactured abroad, especially in China.

“Advanced robotic devices,” a term encompassing mobile robots that mimic the gait of humans and animals, were added to the Federal Communications Commission’s list, according to a statement.

This list already included certain types of drones, as well as the Chinese companies Huawei and China Telecom.

The decision was based on the findings of a White House task force, which determined that these foreign-made robots could threaten critical infrastructure and the safety and security of U.S. residents.

China quickly reacted, accusing the U.S. of trying to “stifle” its companies with these bans.

“China has always firmly condemned the United States’ tendency to abusively invoke national security to stifle Chinese companies,” said Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“Protectionism does not improve American competitiveness at all; it only harms the interests of American companies and consumers,” he emphasized during a regular press briefing.

The White House task force that recommended banning these robots in the name of security cited, among other examples, the case of French programmer Sammy Azdoufal, who reported accidentally accessing the data of thousands of robotic vacuum cleaners manufactured by the Chinese company DJI.

However, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security can grant exemptions.

The FCC also added foreign-made power inverters to the list. These devices, among other functions, convert direct current (DC) from batteries or solar panels into standard alternating current (AC) that can be used by the electrical grid.

The announced decision will only affect new models and not those already sold or authorized in the United States. The measure comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to boost domestic industry.

Several companies already manufacture humanoid robots in the United States, including Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics.