US Efforts to Build Domestic Humanoid Robot Industry Face Chinese Supply Chain Dominance

The United States is attempting to establish a domestic manufacturing base for humanoid robots amid a growing geopolitical competition with China over artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Teddy Haggerty, founder of Robo Inc. and a former distributor for the Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, is working to produce these robots in Long Island, New York. However, Haggerty notes that China currently dominates the supply chain, making it nearly impossible to build a robot entirely free of Chinese components. He states that attempting to eliminate Chinese parts often results in a significantly more expensive product, as importing items like batteries and aluminum skeletons remains more economical.

This industrial struggle coincides with a recent move by the Federal Communications Commission to prohibit the import of new humanoid robot models manufactured abroad, citing national security concerns. While the ban does not explicitly name China, the majority of new humanoid robots are produced by Chinese companies. US officials are concerned that robots used in homes, hospitals, and factories could collect sensitive data on how people live. Haggerty predicts the result will be a fragmented global market where Chinese firms focus on their domestic market while US companies compete for American customers.