AIBRIEF
Conditional approval took effect Sept 9, 2026; the application window for other foreign robot vendors closes Jan 1, 2028.
The FCC has cleared Sweden's Husqvarna to keep selling four of its robot lawn mowers in the US, the first foreign-made advanced robot to win an exemption from the new US ban that took effect in early August. The conditional approval covers the 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ, and 440v IQ series.
The exemption took effect September 9, 2026, with no end date. That tracks the FCC's advanced-robot guidelines, which omit any cap on conditional-approval duration, unlike the agency's parallel carve-outs for foreign drones (12 months) and foreign Wi-Fi routers (18 months). Asus received a Wi-Fi router exemption in the same FCC order, PCMag reports.
The Defense Department reviewed Husqvarna and determined the mowers "do not pose risks to US national security," according to the FCC's order. Applicants must disclose US manufacturing plans, country of origin for all components, and country of origin for device software and firmware. The agency laid out the conditions in DA-26-957A1.
Husqvarna says the US launch of the four mowers is expected in 2027. Other foreign robot makers, including makers of robot vacuums and pool cleaners, can follow the same template, but the application window closes January 1, 2028.
The underlying rule is shaped by concerns about Chinese influence on electronics supply chains and sits alongside a broader Trump-administration push to bolster US manufacturing of advanced robots. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.