FCC Adds Foreign-Produced Robotics, Power Inverters to Covered List; House NDAA Targets Foreign Adversary Humanoid Robots

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-produced “advanced robotic devices” and “power inverters” to the FCC’s Covered List, effectively barring covered equipment from receiving the FCC equipment authorizations necessary for most electronic devices to be imported, marketed, or sold in the United States.

Separately, the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 22, 2026, includes the “Guarding Unregulated AI Robots from Deployment Act” (GUARD Act), a proposed bill that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) from procuring humanoid robotic systems produced by foreign adversaries, including China. The FCC’s Covered List update, in particular, represents a significant expansion of U.S. national security restrictions on mobile robotics and power inverters (which have applications in the power grid, among other uses).

Continue reading on the Cleary Foreign Investment and International Trade Watch blog.