USA: Power Inverters & Robots Added to FCC Covered List

USA: FCC Adds Foreign-Produced Power Inverters and Advanced Robotic Devices to the Covered List

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) released Public Notice DA 26-786, adding two new categories of equipment to the FCC's Covered List: foreign-produced power inverters and foreign produced advanced robotic devices. Once on the list, a "covered" device cannot receive the FCC equipment authorization required to import, market, or sell it in the United States.

For manufacturers, importers, test labs, and Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs), the operative point is narrower and more consequential than most early coverage suggests: the restriction is triggered by where and how a device is produced, not by the identity or nationality of the company that makes it and it can be lifted only through a specific federal national security clearance.

How the FCC Covered List update was triggered

The FCC did not choose to add these categories on its own initiative. Under Section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (the Secure Networks Act, 47 U.S.C. § 1601) and sections 1.50002(a) and 1.50003 of its rules, the Commission may only update the Covered List at the direction of national security authorities, and it is required to implement their determinations.

On July 27, 2026, a White House convened Executive Branch interagency body with national security expertise transmitted two National Security Determinations to the FCC one for power inverters and one for advanced robotic devices. The following day, PSHSB updated the Covered List to reflect them. In practical terms, the FCC's role here is ministerial: the substantive decision was made by the national security agencies, and the Bureau's task was to publish the required entries. This is the same mechanism used to add foreign produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) in December 2025 and consumer grade routers in March 2026, and the inverter and robotics listings are best understood as part of that continuing supply chain campaign rather than as isolated actions.

The proceeding is docketed under WC Docket No. 18-89, ET Docket No. 21-232, and EA Docket No. 21-233.

The two new categories and how they are defined

Both entries designate equipment by place of production "foreign produced" regardless of the producer's nationality. Neither is limited to China, Chinese companies, or any designated foreign adversary country. A US headquartered brand manufacturing offshore is caught in the same way as a foreign brand.

Foreign produced power inverters. The Covered List entry reads, in substance, that foreign produced power inverters are covered except those granted a Conditional Approval by the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The FCC's Fact Sheet frames these as connected power inverters, reflecting the determination's central concern: remote connectivity that could allow inverters to be switched off, used to exfiltrate data, or exploited through a cyberattack as inverter based resources proliferate on the US grid.

Foreign produced advanced robotic devices. The corresponding entry covers foreign produced advanced robotic devices except those granted a Conditional Approval by DoW only DHS is not a clearing authority for robotics. The FCC defines advanced robotic devices as mobile robots such as humanoids and quadrupeds. The determination points to networked capabilities that create vectors for manipulating a robot's data and physical operation, and to the data such devices collect being usable to surveil Americans or to remotely commandeer the robots.

The precise definitional thresholds including connectivity and weight criteria for "advanced robotic devices," and the scope of "power inverter" and "foreign produced" are set out in the National Security Determinations attached as Appendices B and C to DA 26-786. Manufacturers with borderline or lightweight devices should read those definitions directly before assuming their product is in or out of scope.

What the listing does and does not do

The Covered List's effect flows from the FCC's equipment authorization rules. Under section 2.903(a), covered equipment is prohibited from receiving equipment authorization, and under section 2.911 every authorization application must certify that the equipment is not covered. The result: new foreign produced inverter and robot models generally cannot obtain the authorization needed to enter the US market.

The action is narrower than a blanket ban. Per the FCC's Fact Sheet, the update:

• applies to new device models only;

• does not prohibit the continued import, marketing, or sale of models the FCC previously authorized;

• does not affect devices consumers already purchased; and

• does not affect purchase or use by the federal government.

  
  

A further distinction matters for compliance planning. Because these categories are defined by place of production rather than by a named entity, the affected producers are not "identified on the Covered List" the way Huawei or ZTE are. The entity-level prohibitions that attach to identified companies do not apply here, which is precisely what preserves the Conditional Approval route back to authorization.

What this means for manufacturers

1. The trigger is production, not corporate identity. "Foreign produced" reaches any inverter or advanced robot made abroad, regardless of who makes it. Offshore manufacturing by a US company is not a safe harbor.

2. Only new models are blocked. Previously authorized models may continue to be imported, marketed, and sold; existing inventory and consumer devices are unaffected. The exposure is on the next authorization filing.

3. Every authorization filing now carries an attestation obligation. Applications must certify the device is not covered equipment. Filing for a covered foreign produced inverter or robot without a Conditional Approval is not a viable path.

4. Petition the correct agency. Power inverters may be cleared by DoW or DHS; advanced robotic devices may be cleared by DoW only. Directing a submission to the wrong authority wastes time on a live product launch.

5. Foreign producers are not listed entities. The production based designation means the broader entity level prohibitions do not attach, keeping the Conditional Approval pathway open.

6. Confirm scope against the definitions, not the headline. The connectivity and weight thresholds in the determinations govern what is actually covered. Resolve borderline cases against the Appendix B/C text before planning around them.

7. Check the live Covered List and Conditional Approvals roster before every filing. Status changes on a rolling basis as DoW and DHS issue determinations; confirm a device's current status immediately before submitting.

8. Engage FCC staff and your TCB early. The notice confirms Commission staff will advise TCBs, test labs, and applicants on the impact of these updates.

   
   

Certification impact summary

Dimension	Foreign-produced power inverters	Foreign-produced advanced robotic devices
Added to Covered List	July 28, 2026 (DA 26-786)	July 28, 2026 (DA 26-786)
Triggering instrument	National Security Determination, July 27, 2026	National Security Determination, July 27, 2026
Basis of designation	Place of production ("foreign-produced")	Place of production ("foreign-produced")
New FCC equipment authorization	Prohibited for covered models	Prohibited for covered models
Clearing authority for exemption	DoW or DHS Conditional Approval	DoW Conditional Approval only
Previously authorized models	Unaffected — may still be imported/sold	Unaffected may still be imported/sold
Devices already purchased	Unaffected	Unaffected
Federal government purchase/use	Unaffected	Unaffected
Scope note	"Connected" inverters; grid cybersecurity focus	Mobile robots (humanoids, quadrupeds); connectivity/weight thresholds apply

Timeline and required actions

Date	Event	Required action / status
Dec 22, 2025	Foreign produced UAS added to the Covered List (same NSD mechanism)	Precedent: production-based listing model established
Mar 23, 2026	Foreign-produced routers added to the Covered List	Precedent: the router listing supplied the template
Jul 27, 2026	Executive Branch interagency body transmits two National Security Determinations to the FCC	Statutory trigger for mandatory listing
Jul 28, 2026	DA 26-786 power inverters and advanced robotic devices added	New foreign produced models barred from new FCC equipment authorization
Now → ongoing	Conditional Approval process open (DoW / DHS)	File submissions per the applicable Guidance Document; authorization remains blocked until approval is granted
Ongoing	FCC staff guidance to TCBs, test labs, and applicants	Engage early; re verify device status before each filing

Immediate required actions for affected producers and importers:

• Audit the product roadmap for any foreign produced inverter or advanced robot model that will need a new FCC authorization, and freeze filings for covered models until a Conditional Approval is in hand.

• For each such model, prepare a Conditional Approval submission against the correct Guidance Document (Power Inverters or Advanced Robotic Devices) and route it to the correct authority (DoW/DHS for inverters; DoW for robotics).

• Re-confirm the definitional scope for borderline devices against Appendices B and C before deciding whether a filing is even necessary.

• Coordinate with your TCB and, where useful, request FCC staff guidance before submitting authorization applications for potentially covered equipment.

  
  

Conditional Approvals: the route back to authorization

The determinations establish a process for producers to demonstrate that a specific device or a class of devices does not pose the identified national security risks. DoW or DHS may evaluate power inverter submissions; DoW evaluates advanced robotic device submissions. Applicants must supply the information requested in the relevant Guidance Document. Devices that receive a Conditional Approval are excluded from the Covered List and can again obtain FCC equipment authorization, and the FCC will publish granted approvals on its website. There is no fixed application deadline, but authorization stays blocked until an approval is granted so for any product on a launch schedule, the submission is time critical.

The current Covered List and the roster of granted approvals are maintained at the FCC's supply-chain page: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist