Boston Dynamics Faces Pressure to Reduce Chinese Parts
A new federal report highlights U.S. reliance on Chinese components for humanoid robot manufacturing.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Robotics
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Boston Dynamics faces mounting pressure to decrease its dependence on Chinese suppliers for critical components in its humanoid robots. This comes as a national commission flags risks associated with concentrated supply chains for robotics parts.
Why it matters
Concentrated production of components like permanent magnets and precision bearings in China creates significant geopolitical and economic risks for the domestic U.S. robotics industry. The U.S. currently trails China in total robot deployment and local manufacturing capacity.
Chinese firms hold a 40% share of the precision bearings market and a 35% share of the electric motors market, while controlling 94% of global permanent magnet production. Hyundai aims for 30,000 units of annual humanoid robot capacity by 2028.
The players
Boston Dynamics
This American engineering and robotics design company is known for developing advanced mobile robots such as the Atlas humanoid.
Hyundai Motor Group
This South Korean automotive conglomerate owns Boston Dynamics and is aggressively expanding into the global robotics sector.
National Security Commission on Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics
This federal body was established to evaluate the competitiveness and security of the American robotics and manufacturing ecosystem.
Hyundai Mobis
Serving as the primary parts and service arm for Hyundai, this entity specializes in the production of automotive and robotic components.
The details
The National Security Commission on Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics emphasizes that manufacturers need to secure domestic supply chains to mitigate vulnerability to economic pressure. Hyundai Mobis is working to address these gaps by planning a new U.S. facility capable of producing over 350,000 actuators annually.
Timeline
March 2026: The National Security Commission on Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics was established.
2025: New industrial robot installation counts were recorded for China and the United States.
October 2026: The preliminary report from the commission was released.
March 2027: The commission is scheduled to release its final report.
2028: Hyundai plans to begin mass production of Atlas humanoid robots.
The Tech Race
The move to shift robotics supply chains follows the precedent set by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to secure domestic manufacturing for critical technologies. This strategy positions the U.S. to reduce reliance on overseas infrastructure for autonomous systems.
While these shifts occur at the corporate level, they determine the long-term feasibility and pricing of advanced robotics products entering the U.S. market. Consumers may see higher costs or delays as manufacturers work to integrate components sourced outside of China.
The takeaway
Achieving domestic autonomy in robotics requires overcoming significant hurdles in raw material refining and component manufacturing. Companies are increasingly prioritizing supply chain resilience to ensure long-term production stability for humanoid technologies.
What happens next
The National Security Commission on Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics is scheduled to release its comprehensive final report in March 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations and market trends by visiting Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UPI.
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