Canadian robotics companies are warning they are caught up in a U.S. crackdown on foreign-made robots as new restrictions threaten to deprive them of their biggest market.
“This is a very complex, far-reaching and disruptive situation,” said Ryan Gariepy of the Robotics Council of Canada. “This is not good.”
Last month, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned the import of advanced robotics from foreign countries, citing national security concerns. The move is widely seen as the latest attempt by the Trump administration to limit China’s influence over strategic industries.
But the rules could also impact Canadian businesses and slow the growth of an industry that is evolving alongside artificial intelligence.
Restrictions apply to the import of advanced robots from countries outside the United States. These include robotic vacuum cleaners, forklifts and humanoid robots designed to perform human-like tasks such as stocking warehouse shelves.
“[It covers] anything that can move through an environment and has some ability to sense, think, act and react to that environment,” Gariepy said.
Sebastien Metot, CEO of Montreal-based Windo Smart, says he’s concerned about what the new FCC rules mean for his business.
Receive daily national news
Get Canada’s daily headlines delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories.
Windo Smart, launched in 2023, uses drones and robotic technology to clean high-rise buildings. Méthot has clients across Canada and has expanded its operations south of the border.
“It’s a big problem for us because the US is now the biggest market we’d like to sell to and we just can’t do it anymore,” he told Global News.
While Canada’s robotics industry is making strides, China dominates the field, producing 85 percent of the world’s humanoid robots. The US has warned that Beijing could flood the market with cheap, advanced robotics that pose a national security threat.
But FCC restrictions apply regardless of country of origin, meaning countries like Canada may also face barriers.
An FCC spokesperson told Global News that the rules are “country neutral” and were adopted on the recommendation of a White House task force that found foreign-made products “pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
Canadian companies wanting to sell their products to American customers may have to provide justification for why their products are not made in the United States, Gariepy says.
“What this really means… is that we need to continue to rethink how we use robots in Canada,” he added.
Meto says he is now left with two options: focus primarily on the Canadian or European markets or move entirely.
“We’re actually thinking about moving to the US,” he said. “Unfortunately, we love Quebec and we want to stay, but we need the government to make the right choices to keep us.”
The engineer and entrepreneur fears the ban will contribute to Canada’s brain drain.
“Robotics is the second biggest innovation on the market in the 21st century… I want Canada to invest in robotics so we can become a superpower,” he said.
“We need sovereign technologies.”
—with files from Reggie Cecchini, Global News
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.