US import tariffs on Chinese-made robots have climbed sharply in 2026, with combined effective duty rates now around 35% for most categories and far higher on strategic goods. The effect on landed cost is real: one widely-cited example saw a Chinese humanoid's US price nearly triple, from about $16,000 to roughly $40,000, once tariffs were applied.
For buyers, the takeaway is that the sticker price you see quoted in China is no longer the price you pay. Duties on imported components — sensors, actuators, processors — are also pushing up the cost of robots assembled elsewhere.
What to do: budget for duty on top of quoted FOB prices, confirm the HTS classification with your customs broker, and compare total landed cost across suppliers before committing. See our robot arm price guide for base pricing to build your landed-cost estimate from.