 "US calls robot makers to the table as China races ahead in humanoid revolution")
The US Department of Commerce is shifting its attention to robots. The agency has invited America’s leading robotics companies to a roundtable next month as it tries to fortify the domestic industry and counter China’s growing lead in the field.
According to a leaked invitation from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) reviewed by Semafor, the 10 March meeting will focus on “key supply chain and policy challenges affecting American robotics manufacturing and deployment.” Makers of humanoids and industrial robots alike are expected to attend.
A Commerce spokesperson said the meeting aims to gather “a variety of opinions and perspectives” on how Washington can support robotics innovation, though it won’t overlap with ongoing work on tariffs or export controls.
America plays catch-up in the robot race
Robotics has become a new front in the US–China technology rivalry. Reports suggest that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has already held private meetings with robotics executives, and that an executive order on robotics could arrive later this year.
Industry insiders say the sense of urgency is warranted. Beijing has declared robotics a national strategic priority and backed its companies with heavy subsidies, spurring a surge in production and exports. American firms argue that without comparable government support, they’ll struggle to compete with Chinese manufacturers that can outscale and undercut them.
And the numbers are sobering. China is already the world’s largest producer and user of robots. Market researcher Omdia reported that Chinese robotics company AgiBot shipped over 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, nearly 40 per cent of the global market.
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Few have been as vocal about the issue as Elon Musk, who has repeatedly warned that China could soon dominate humanoid robotics. During a Tesla earnings call, earlier this month, he admitted that while the company’s Optimus currently leads the field, the next wave of rivals will almost certainly come from China.
“China is exceptionally good at scaling, manufacturing, and AI,” Musk said. “I think China will be by far the biggest competitor in the humanoid robot market.” He added that while Tesla and SpaceX are ahead for now, “ranks two through ten will all be Chinese companies.”
Musk isn’t alone in his concern. Yann LeCun, the Meta chief scientist often dubbed the “godfather of AI,” recently warned that China’s growing dominance in artificial intelligence could “reshape the balance of global power.”
Experts believe that kind of competition could accelerate innovation, but also risks widening the gap between China’s state-backed robotics ecosystem and the more fragmented US industry.
As the robot race speeds up, Washington’s March roundtable might be just the wake-up call America’s robotics sector needs, before the machines from Shenzhen and Shanghai leave Silicon Valley’s creations in the dust.
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