The FCC framed<\/a> the decision as a way to safeguard U.S. economic and national security, citing supply chain resiliency and risks to the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n The move was widely viewed<\/a> as targeting China, which holds about 85 per cent of the market share for humanoid robots. Beijing appeared to see it that way too, saying<\/a> last week that escalating restrictions on Chinese imports threatens the stability of U.S.-China relations.<\/p>\n Yet the FCC made clear that the rules apply to all countries equally.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRelated Articles<\/p>\n \t \t A company may request a conditional approval for a new foreign-produced device to get past the ban. The FCC would grant authorization if and when an assessment by the U.S. Department of Defense, now known as the Department of War, concludes the device does not \u201cpose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or to the safety and security of U.S. persons.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n There is a catch. The firm must justify<\/a> why it doesn\u2019t make the robots in the U.S. already. It must also submit \u201ca detailed, time-bound plan\u201d to establish or expand U.S. manufacturing for the robot in question. That plan must specify whether the firm currently produces or assembles any part of the robotic device in the U.S., including the percentage of U.S. content it contains and the number of facilities and jobs involved. The firm\u2019s promise to expand U.S. operations must include planned capital expenditures, financing and investments over the next one to five years, plus the additional number of employees it expects to hire. The firm has to update the government on its progress every quarter.<\/p>\n \t\t \tRyan Gariepy, chair of the non-profit Canadian Robotics Council, speaks at the All In AI Conference in Montreal in September 2025. Photo: Handout\t<\/p>\n The FCC did not respond to The Logic\u2019s questions about whether it would be possible for a company to get conditional approval without moving operations to the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really worrying,\u201d said Jayson Myers, executive director of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led supercluster for the advanced manufacturing sector. \u201cThe most innovative companies in Canada see the U.S. as their major market and that\u2019s where they are basing their growth plans \u2026 so it really is an issue of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n It is an issue that Hadley Fox, co-founder and chief technology officer at TP7 AI Robotics, is trying to figure out how to navigate. The startup, which grew<\/a> out of research backed by Nvidia and SFU VentureLabs in Vancouver, has a lab in Boston. It does not make its AI-powered multitasking mobile robots there, but is just starting to introduce them to U.S. factories through pilot programs. In an interview, Fox said the products do not yet have FCC approval, so would be banned.<\/p>\n Fox, who lives in Montreal, said he did anticipate the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump would eventually extend its protectionist approach to robotics. TP7, which was incorporated in 2024, sources much of its hardware from overseas, including China. Fox is exploring ways to switch up its supply chain, but it would be costly. \u201cA lot of these companies moved from [electric vehicle] manufacturing to robotic manufacturing, so they\u2019re really fast, and they\u2019re cheap too,\u201d he said of Chinese suppliers. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the capability to match their price at the moment, but it is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n The ban covers nearly all kinds of autonomous ground mobile robots that weigh at least two kilograms, including docking stations. It would not apply to autonomous cars or trucks, aircraft, submarines or vehicles used on railways. Robotics used in medicine would also get a pass. A new robotic vacuum cleaner, however, could be affected if it were heavy enough.<\/p>\n
\n\t![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Steel_workers_ArcelorMittal_Dofasco_plant-Hamilton-March_2025-Nathan_Denette-CP174293241-1920x1280-1.jpeg\")
\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Agility_Digit_Robot-Agility_Robotics_Handout-1920x1280-1-768x512.jpeg\")
\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ryan_Gariepy-Montreal-Sept_2025-All_In_Handout-1333x2000-1.jpg\")
\t<\/p>\n