Why does Thomas O. Falk argue that the US ban on Chinese humanoid robots, quadrupeds, and power inverters — imposed by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr via the agency's Covered List on cybersecurity and supply-chain grounds — does the US robotics industry no favours, given that Chinese

Thomas O. Falk argues that the ban does the US robotics industry no favours on three main grounds, laid out in his SCMP op‑ed :

1. The market reality is already Chinese-dominated. Chinese manufacturers control roughly 85 % of the global humanoid market, and there is no established US industry to protect — only an infant one being raised behind a wall. Falk suggests that fencing off competition is a sign of weakness, not strength .

2. The government exemption undermines the security rationale. The ban exempts the federal government, which may keep buying the very same devices deemed too dangerous for ordinary citizens. Falk calls this "less a threat assessment than a tariff in uniform" — if the devices are a genuine cyber‑security risk, they should be risky for government use too .

3. The solar panel precedent shows protectionism doesn't build a winning domestic industry. The US imposed anti‑dumping duties on Chinese solar panels starting in 2012, yet China now controls over 80 % of every stage of global solar panel manufacturing. The wall decided who could sell to Americans but not who won the industry. Falk implies the robot ban risks the same outcome — shielding US firms from competition without making them globally competitive .