The U.S. Can’t Catch Up to China’s Robots by Banning Them

The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing pitted thousands of robots against each other in running, jumping and dancing, with machines breaking records including Usain Bolt's 100-meter time, underscoring China's dominance of an industry that produced nearly 90 percent of humanoid robots sold in 2025.

Last month the Trump administration announced a ban on new imports of 'advanced robotics devices,' requiring future robots sold in the U.S. to be assembled domestically with at least 65 percent U.S.-made parts. The policy applies globally but is aimed squarely at China, even though the U.S. robotics industry remains a fraction of China's scale and cannot currently meet domestic demand for components.

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