The FCC granted Intel a one-year waiver from its ban on certain foreign-made advanced robots, letting it keep updating and repairing the automated guided vehicles that move materials inside its U.S. chip fabs.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday granted Intel a one-year waiver of its ban on certain foreign-made advanced robotics, Reuters reported. The FCC said the waiver would prevent "potential disruptions in the availability of domestic semiconductor manufacturing services for Intel's customers."
Intel asked for the waiver on October 16 in ET Docket 26-256. Without it, the company could not have made software, firmware or hardware changes to its Automated Guided Vehicles, which carry materials inside its chip plants and have been running for more than 20 years. Intel told the FCC there are no proven domestic alternatives that meet its needs, and that replacing the vehicles would take years and could disrupt manufacturing.
The FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List on July 28, 2026. The agency has since granted some approvals that allow specific robotic devices to keep being imported or used.
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