Intel has received a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowing it to continue using foreign-made robots inside its US semiconductor plants, according to Reuters. The decision spares the machines from a July import ban that the chipmaker had warned had the potential to stall its domestic manufacturing. The order covers robotics that Intel says are critical to its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The episode underscores how security-driven trade restrictions can reach the equipment inside US chip plants.

Intel's request to the FCC

Intel's fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which move silicon wafers and other materials around chip factories, is the basis of the company's petition. Intel told regulators that it was unsure whether routine upgrades to these vehicles would fall under the new rules, and Quartz reported that the company asked for a temporary exemption to be safe.

Intel's argument rested on supply. The company claimed that no US supplier offers a tested replacement that meets its needs and that replacing the existing vehicles would take years. It also warned the FCC that any disruption was bound to affect its ability to make chips in the United States almost immediately.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan added that keeping the AGVs running was “crucial” to national security, according to a filing summary on TradingView. The company maintains that routine maintenance is not expected to create new cybersecurity risks, which it says are the main reason for the restrictions.

The July ban that triggered the petition

In July, the FCC added advanced robots made overseas to its Covered List — the agency's roster of equipment and services it deems national security threats — after a White House review found that they posed unacceptable national security risks. Bloomberg reported that the rules prevent companies from changing the hardware, software, or firmware of affected devices already on the market. Manufacturers can apply for an exemption, while companies using the equipment, such as Intel, can request a waiver.

Japanese firms Murata Machinery and Daifuku are among the leading AGV suppliers, with companies in South Korea and Taiwan also seeking a foothold in the market. There is also precedent for an exemption: Netgear was allowed to continue selling its routers in April after the Department of Defense found they posed no security risk.

Intel may not be the only US-based chipmaker to end up requesting a waiver. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Micron (MU), GlobalFoundries, Samsung Electronics, and Texas Instruments (TXN) also operate their own chip factories and may face similar issues. The FCC's decisions on any additional waiver requests will show how the rules apply across the rest of the US chip industry.

A regulator leaning into enforcement

The FCC has tightened restrictions on other products in recent weeks. On Thursday, the agency blocked a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter from being sold in the US because they used chips made by HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary on the FCC's Covered List, according to the agency. HiSilicon had marketed the chip for surveillance, claiming it included built-in face detection.

The enforcement action was the first under rules introduced by the FCC earlier this month, which block the approval of devices containing smart components from companies on its Covered List. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated in the announcement that the agency would continue working to protect US national security.