FCC Adds Foreign-Made Power Inverters and Robots to Covered List
New FCC Covered List entries will block authorization for importation or marketing of foreign-produced power inverters and advanced robotic devices deemed national-security risks.
On July 28, 2026, the FCC expanded its Covered List on a categorical basis, adding power inverters and 'advanced robotic devices' produced in foreign countries to the list of equipment deemed an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. The action followed a White House-convened interagency determination and means that new models meeting the FCC's 'foreign-produced' definition will not be eligible for equipment authorization, effectively barring their importation or marketing in the United States. Sophisticated counsel and clients should care because the categorical scope reaches two strategically important supply chains: grid-scale and distributed-energy power inverters (touches utilities, renewables developers, and inverter OEMs) and advanced robotics (touches manufacturers, system integrators, and warehouse/automation buyers). The move is part of a broader pattern of using the FCC's Covered List as a tool of supply-chain and technology protectionism. Concrete next steps to watch include FCC equipment-authorization guidance defining 'foreign-produced' and 'advanced robotic devices,' any CARA classified-contract filings seeking carve-outs, parallel BIS export-control list updates, and possible customs/CBP enforcement questions at the border.