According to Politico on June 23, Rattner stated during a private meeting with corporate executives that the Commerce Department is examining imports of robots supported by the Chinese government and may respond strongly once the review is complete.
The meeting included executives from over ten companies, including SpaceX, Boston Dynamics, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Siemens, and Rockwell Automation.
U.S. authorities view China's state-supported robotics industry as a national security threat. There are growing concerns that if Chinese robots, backed by substantial subsidies, rapidly dominate the global market, U.S. companies may lose their competitive edge before they can establish a foothold.
Chinese robots are already subject to U.S. tariffs. However, attendees noted that Rattner's comments suggest the administration is considering additional tariffs or import restrictions.
Meeting notes obtained by Politico reveal Rattner said, "We do not want state-subsidized robots attacking the U.S. This is the arms race coming, and robotic arms are on the way." He added, "Robots need to be produced in the U.S., and that is what we are reviewing now."
The discussion primarily focused on how to revive the manufacturing base that has moved overseas over the decades and build an industrial ecosystem capable of producing everything from semiconductors to robots within the United States. Attendees raised concerns about delays in permitting for factory construction, funding burdens, and the need for policy support to expand investments.
Politico also highlighted that the U.S. has lost a significant portion of the manufacturing base necessary for next-generation robot production. With weakened capabilities in machine tools and key component manufacturing, there are fears that as China's robot manufacturing capabilities grow, the U.S. may become reliant on China for actual hardware production despite having competitive advantages in AI and software.
One attendee remarked, "It is a very bad strategy to attach China's body to America's brain."
The U.S. government believes that tariffs alone will not be sufficient to drive the reshoring of the robotics industry and is looking to provide financial support as well. According to Politico, the Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) is reviewing low-interest loans for U.S. robotics companies Foundation Robotics and Standard Bots. These loans aim to reduce the financial burden on companies and attract private investment, although they have not yet been finalized.
Evan Beard, CEO of Standard Bots, who attended the meeting, stated, "The administration understands the urgency of this issue and is taking action, not just talking. They are putting real money into addressing market distortions abroad and making reshoring economically viable."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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