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Can You Still Buy a Chinese-Made Robot in the US? The FCC Robot Rule, Model by Model
Can You Still Buy a Chinese-Made Robot in the US? The FCC Robot Rule, Model by Model
By the BotInfo.ai Research Team · Checked against FCC records, the Federal Register and dealer carts, October 5, 2026 · General information, not legal advice
The short answer Checked Oct 5, 2026
Can I still buy one: Yes, if that model held FCC authorization before July 28, 2026. That day the FCC put every foreign-produced mobile robot, humanoids and robot dogs included, on its Covered List: new models cannot be authorized for US sale, but authorized ones can still be imported, sold and used.
Which models: The Unitree G1, R1, H2, Go2 and A2 each hold a pre-cutoff FCC ID. We found none for the Booster K1 robot, the Noetix Bumi or the EngineAI T800.
How to buy: A US dealer ships those Unitree models in North America, from $8,990.
New models: Only with a Department of War Conditional Approval; none yet for a humanoid or robot dog.
Buyable in the US today, model by model
What the public FCC record showed for each robot on October 5, 2026, and the price at the dealer we link to that day. Order opens the dealer's checkout for that exact model. Ask sends the question to us: we get the FCC basis for the sale in writing before you pay.
| Model and FCC record | US price | Order |
|---|---|---|
| FCC ID on record before July 28, 2026 · a US dealer ships in North America | ||
| Unitree G1 BasicFCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU008, granted March 3, 2025; the filing's user manual names the G1 · remote-controlled demo unit, no SDKPre-cutoff FCC ID | $17,990Dealer listingOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree G1 EDU Pro, dummy handsSame G1 FCC ID · programmable (Python, C++, ROS 2) · every G1 build | $32,900Sale · cart checkOct 18, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree R1 BasicFCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU010, “R1 Humanoid Robot”, June 22, 2026 · demo unit, no SDKPre-cutoff FCC ID | $8,990Cart checkOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree R1 EDU StandardSame R1 FCC ID · the cheapest programmable Unitree humanoid | $15,950Cart checkOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree H2 BasicFCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU012, “H2 Humanoid Robot”, June 30, 2026 · full-size humanoidPre-cutoff FCC ID | $39,900Dealer listingOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree H2 EDU SmartSame H2 FCC ID · programmable research build | $66,800Dealer listingOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree Go2 EDU StandardRobot dog · FCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU004, dated May 27, 2024; the filing's user manual is the Go2's · every Go2 buildPre-cutoff FCC ID | $11,190Cart checkOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| Unitree A2Industrial robot dog · FCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU011, “A2 Quadruped Robot”, June 30, 2026Pre-cutoff FCC ID | $31,900Cart checkOct 5, 2026 | Order |
| No FCC ID found for the robot · ask before you pay | ||
| Unitree G1-DWheeled or fixed-base dual-arm G1 · no FCC filing names the G1-D under Unitree's code; ask which FCC ID it ships under · in stock at our North American partner dealer, from $38,800 for the Standard A (dealer cart, Oct 11, 2026): see the G1-D | $38,800Cart checkOct 11, 2026 | Ask |
| Booster K1 GEEKKid-size, programmable · Booster's only FCC grant is for the K1's remote control (2BVIP-BRRC1DMBK), not the robotNo FCC ID for the robot | Price on requestQuote desk | Ask |
| Noetix Bumi PRO CompactAbout 94 cm · no FCC filing found under the Noetix nameNo FCC ID found | Price on requestQuote desk | Ask |
| EngineAI T800 Full-SizeAdult-height humanoid · no FCC filing found under the EngineAI nameNo FCC ID found | Price on requestQuote desk | Ask |
Prices before tax: cart lines read October 5, 2026, except the G1 Basic and both H2 builds, which are the dealer's listed price that day, and the G1-D, read in the cart on October 11, 2026. The Booster K1, Noetix Bumi and EngineAI T800 are quote-only on BotInfo, so their prices are on request. The Unitree Order buttons go to an authorized US dealer that ships within North America. A missing FCC ID is not proof that a sale is unlawful: some devices are authorized by a supplier's declaration of conformity (SDoC), which carries no FCC ID and is not listed centrally, and the FCC says the seller must provide that compliance information. That is why those rows say Ask. AgiBot's A2 also holds a pre-cutoff FCC ID (2BP3W-TYA201, granted June 27, 2025), but AgiBot sells from China: see buying an AgiBot.
Five questions to put to the dealer before you pay
- Which FCC ID does this exact unit ship under? It should be on the robot's label. Check it on the FCC's public equipment-authorization search, and check the grant date is before July 28, 2026.
- Is my variant the one that was authorized? A dual-arm, wheeled or newly launched variant may not be covered by its sister model's grant. Ask the dealer to put the answer in writing.
- If there is no FCC ID, what is the SDoC? Ask for the supplier's declaration of conformity and the US party responsible for it.
- Will it keep getting updates? An FCC waiver allows protective software and firmware updates to authorized robots until at least January 1, 2029. Ask how the maker delivers them.
- Is federal or defense money involved? Then the 1260H rules below matter more than the FCC rule. Tell the dealer at the quote stage.
Buying from outside the US
The FCC rule governs US authorization only. The order buttons above go to a US dealer that ships within North America. Elsewhere, several of these models, including the Unitree R1 Air and the Booster K1, go through our quote desk; your own country's radio-equipment rules apply. Send us your country and the model, and we reply with the routes we can confirm and a dated, landed-cost estimate.
What the FCC did, with dates
From the FCC's own public notices and its Covered List page, newest first.
Third robot Conditional Approval: Matic Robots' robotic floor cleaner and its charging dock (DA 26-1063). The FCC's Covered List page carries this update.
Second: ANSCER Robotics' AR250, AR650 and AR1250 robotic platforms (DA 26-996), conditioned on ANSCER keeping to the onshoring plan in its application.
First robot Conditional Approval: Husqvarna's 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ and 440v IQ robotic platforms (DA 26-957).
The rule: the FCC adds “foreign-produced advanced robotic devices, except advanced robotic devices which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW” to the Covered List (DA 26-786), after a national security determination the White House-convened interagency body sent on July 27. The same day, a waiver keeps software and firmware updates flowing to robots authorized before the addition, until at least January 1, 2029 (DA 26-789).
Still true on October 2, 2026: the FCC has a process to stop further import or marketing of equipment it authorized before a Covered List addition: a public notice, at least 30 days for comment and a public-interest analysis. Its list of equipment under such a prohibition covers only equipment added to the Covered List in 2024 or earlier. Robots are not on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to buy a Chinese-made robot in the US now?
Is the Unitree G1 legal to buy in the US?
Are robot dogs banned in the US?
Has any robot received a Conditional Approval?
Will a robot I buy now still get software updates?
Can I import a robot I bought abroad?
Does the rule cover robots made in Europe, Japan or Korea?
Is Unitree banned because of the 1260H list?
Which robots the rule covers
The FCC uses the national security determination's definition. An “advanced robotic device” is a mobile device, autonomous mobile robots, humanoids and quadrupeds included, that:
- can move on the ground, avoid obstacles or navigate;
- operates at a distance from a human operator, on commands or sensor data;
- weighs over 4.4 lb with its docking or ground station, if it has one;
- has a sensor that perceives its environment, a network link of at least 200 kbps, and software that controls its movement, perception, data collection or remote control.
Excluded: connected vehicles, rail vehicles, drones, unmanned underwater vehicles, FDA-regulated medical devices, and fixed industrial or medical robot arms. Per the FCC's FAQ, automated guided vehicles can fall inside the definition, and so can pool robots that also work above water.
“Foreign-produced” is about where, not who. A robot is foreign-produced unless it is a US “domestic end product”: made in the United States, with domestic components above 65% of component cost for items delivered through 2028 (75% from 2029). The FCC says the maker's nationality is irrelevant and the action is country-neutral, so a robot made in Europe, Japan or Korea is covered too.
Importing one yourself, testing, and selling to the government
What the FCC's FAQ allows
- Importing, selling and using a model that already holds FCC authorization.
- Keeping and using a robot you already own.
- Importing small batches of unauthorized robots only for product development or testing, if they are not marketed or sold.
- Importing only to re-export.
- Importing, marketing or selling exclusively to the federal government, which is exempt from the Covered List restrictions.
What it does not
- New FCC authorization for a covered robot without a Conditional Approval, including through an SDoC.
- Operating in the US a covered robot that never received FCC authorization, bought abroad or not: the FCC's answer is “generally no”.
Summarised from the FCC's FAQ on foreign-produced advanced robotic devices, read October 5, 2026. General information, not legal advice: for a specific import, ask a customs broker or counsel.
Federal money and defense contracts: the 1260H list is a separate rule
The Department of War designated Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co., Ltd. (Unitree) a “Chinese military company” under Section 1260H, in a notice dated June 5, 2026 and published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2026; no removal had been published by October 5, 2026. The list does not stop private, company or university purchases. Under Section 805 of the FY2024 NDAA it binds Department of War contracting: from June 30, 2026 the Department may not contract with a listed company, and from June 30, 2027 it may not buy goods or services they produce or develop.
Working under a Department of War contract, or spending grant money with its own rules? Read Unitree and the 1260H list, then raise the platform with your contracting officer or sponsored-programs office before you order. Universities: what a lab can buy at each budget.
Need the FCC basis for a robot in writing, a PO quote, or a country outside the US?
Tell us the model, the country and the deadline. You get a dated answer within one business day.
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