
Aug 28, 2026
✦TechCrunch
The U.S. is building barriers around drones and robots, but China has scale to get around them
In July and August, Washington tightened restrictions on foreign-made advanced robotic systems and imposed steep tariffs on imported drones. While these moves aim to protect the U.S. market, China maintains a massive lead in manufacturing scale. Experts said, "Robotics does not hinge on a single technology that one country can control."