Exporting Industrial Robots to the US: A Guide for Chinese Manufacturers

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Confirm specific projects with a certification body and US counsel.

1. Can Chinese industrial robots be sold in the US?

Yes. But three separate questions apply, and different people are responsible for each:

Can it clear customs? That is handled by the US importer of record and the customs broker. Clearing customs does not mean the product is compliant.
Can it be sold? There is no federal pre-market certification for industrial robots¹. Controllers and wireless parts may fall under FCC rules (see section 2).
Can it be installed and run in the customer's plant? This is the decisive gate. US employers are bound by OSHA to use "acceptable" electrical equipment², and the local electrical inspector (the AHJ) also inspects. That is why US customers ask you for UL or other NRTL evidence.

2. Which certifications and standards apply?

Requirement	Mandatory?	Who handles it	How to obtain it
OSHA workplace safety	Mandatory for US employers. OSHA has no robot-specific standard; general rules on machine guarding, lockout/tagout and electrical safety apply¹	US employer / system integrator	Risk assessment and safeguarding; the manufacturer supplies safety information and manuals
"Acceptable" electrical equipment	Mandatory for employers, but not the same as "every robot must be UL certified"²	The employer carries the duty; the manufacturer, importer or integrator usually supplies the evidence	Three routes: (1) NRTL testing and listing; (2) inspection by a government authority where no NRTL covers the type; (3) custom-made equipment with the manufacturer's test data
UL 1740 (robot safety) / NFPA 79 (industrial machinery electrical)	Standards, not law; the usual basis for NRTL certification and often required by customer contracts	Manufacturer	Apply to an OSHA-recognized NRTL for testing and listing³
ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025	Voluntary consensus standard; the US adoption of ISO 10218 Parts 1 and 2⁴; often cited in contracts	Manufacturer (Part 1: robot); integrator (Part 2: application and cell)	Design and verify to the standard; obtain third-party test reports
FCC (controllers, wireless pendants)	Depends on the product: digital devices used only as controls in an industrial plant are exempt from the Part 15 technical standards⁵; radio transmitters need TCB certification before marketing⁶	Manufacturer	Decide whether the exemption applies; use pre-certified radio modules or test
Installation approval	Local rules	Installer / owner	Talk to the local AHJ early

New in 2026: the FCC Covered List does not cover fixed industrial robots. On 28 July 2026, FCC Public Notice DA 26-786 added "foreign-produced advanced robotic devices" to the Covered List; covered equipment can no longer receive FCC equipment authorizations⁷⁸. The definition targets robots that move on the ground, such as autonomous mobile robots, humanoids and quadrupeds. It expressly excludes "a fixed, stationary, non-mobile robot, including articulating, parallel/delta, Cartesian/gantry, or SCARA robots intended for industrial or medical use"⁷. Fixed industrial robots are therefore outside the listing. If you also make mobile robots, take specific advice from US FCC counsel.

3. How to obtain them: steps, bodies and documents

UL / NRTL certification

Define the scope. Are you certifying the arm with its controller, a separate control cabinet, or a complete cell? The scope decides the standards and the cost.
Choose an NRTL. Use only an OSHA-recognized NRTL whose recognition covers the standards you need. OSHA publishes the current list, which includes UL, Intertek, CSA, SGS North America, TÜV SÜD America and TÜV Rheinland of North America³.
Design review. Submit wiring diagrams, the critical component list, nameplate, warning labels and English manuals. Confirm your target customers' supply voltage and component approval needs at the design stage.
Sample testing. Test at the body's laboratory or another approved location.
Listing and follow-up inspection. "Listed" means the body periodically inspects production²; products carry the certification mark.
If the product is not listed. For single units or small batches, agree a field evaluation with the customer, an NRTL and the local AHJ. This suits a market test, not volume sales.

Cost and time: both depend on scope, design maturity and any redesign. We do not publish unverified figures; ask at least two NRTLs for written quotes and timelines.

ISO 10218 / R15.06 test reports

A third-party laboratory tests the safety functions of the robot and controller to ISO 10218-1. The report must name the robot model, the controller model and the edition of the standard. For cobots, it should also verify the collaborative functions.

FCC

Wired controllers. Check whether the controller is used only as a control system in an industrial plant⁵. If so, it is exempt from the Part 15 technical standards but must still not cause harmful interference.
Wireless parts. Wireless pendants and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules are intentional radiators and need certification by a TCB (Telecommunication Certification Body) before marketing⁶.
Mobile robot product lines. Check the DA 26-786 definition first⁷. Covered equipment cannot obtain new FCC authorizations, even where it would otherwise be exempt from authorization⁸.

Can existing Chinese or international reports be reused?

Test data can often be reused; certificates cannot replace each other. A CE declaration, a CB report or a Chinese certification is not an NRTL listing.
Reports made to IEC or ISO standards can be submitted to an NRTL to see whether they reduce repeat testing. The body decides; confirm it in writing when you request a quote.
US versions often differ because of US standard requirements and may need extra testing or design changes.

4. What documents should you prepare?

English product specifications (payload, reach, repeatability, IP rating, controller model, voltage)
ISO 10218-1 test report (matching model, edition stated)
NRTL listing evidence, or a field evaluation plan agreed with the customer
FCC position (exemption reasoning or FCC ID)
English operating, maintenance and safety manuals, plus wiring diagrams
Risk assessment information and a description of the safety functions
Spare parts list, US spare parts stock and lead times
US service partner and remote support response times (in US time zones)
Warranty terms and claims process
Reference customers and application cases, ideally in North America or Europe

5. Common mistakes

Treating a CE or CB certificate as US certification. The customer's electrical inspector will not accept it.
Certified model differs from the delivered model. Changing the controller or components without updating the certification is a common reason for rejection.
Not confirming the customer's power supply. The control cabinet voltage affects both certification and delivery.
Chinese-only or machine-translated documents. The customer's safety engineers read the manuals line by line.
No local service plan. For US customers, downtime risk often matters more than price.
Assuming "collaborative" means "no safeguarding". Safety depends on the application and its risk assessment.

6. Once you are ready, how do you find US customers?

Compliance is the entry ticket, not the order. Most industrial robots in the US reach end users through system integrators and distributors:

System integrator partnerships. Integrators choose which robot brand to use. They need reliable English technical support, open communication interfaces, dependable spare parts and complete compliance documents.
Regional distributors. Give distributors training, demo units, marketing material and a clear territory policy.
Trade shows. Book meetings with integrators and potential distributors in advance instead of waiting at the booth.
English website and Google SEO. Build content around applications (welding, palletizing, machine tending) and your compliance documents, so integrators and plant engineers can find you.
Google Ads. Target high-intent application terms. According to Google Ads keyword data (October 2026), "welding robot" averages about 3,600 US searches a month at roughly US$19 per click, and "palletizing robot" about 1,000 at roughly US$34.
LinkedIn and B2B outreach. Target integrators, plant automation managers and engineering leads, and use your compliance documents and cases to build trust.

Treat compliance documents as marketing assets. Publishing your certification details, the standards you meet and English downloads on your website is the most direct way onto a US buyer's shortlist.

For the EU, read Exporting industrial robots to the EU: CE marking and the Machinery Regulation.

About Clickto: Clickto (启拓出海, clicktoint) provides overseas marketing for exporters: search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM / Google Ads), answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO), so overseas buyers find you in Google and AI search.

Exporting industrial robots to the US: certification, process and finding customers