Lutnick privately warned top executives of possible action against imported Chinese robots

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told executives at a closed-door meeting Monday that his department is studying state-subsidized robotics imports and signaled the administration could take strong action once the review is complete, according to three people who attended the meeting and were granted anonymity to discuss it.

Officials increasingly see China’s state-backed robotics industry as a national security threat, fearing subsidized Chinese robots could dominate global markets before U.S. manufacturers have the scale to compete.

Chinese-made robots already face U.S. tariffs, though several attendees said Lutnick’s comments suggest the administration is considering additional action.

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