U.S. robotics startups are increasingly sourcing key hardware from China as pressure grows to build humanoid robots quickly and cheaply. The Information reported that in April, a San Francisco venture capitalist visiting Shenzhen carried a procurement list from a U.S. robotics startup seeking a humanoid robot and a range of robot components, then went to Huaqiangbei, one of the world’s largest electronics trading hubs, to buy equipment and parts for shipment back to the United States. Industry participants say the pattern underscores a broader imbalance in the global robotics supply chain: the United States has strengths in AI algorithms, software and capital, but remains heavily dependent on China’s mature manufacturing ecosystem for motors, sensors, batteries, controllers, actuators and structural components. That dependence persists even as the U.S. pushes to localize robotics production and tightens restrictions on Chinese high-tech supply chains, because startups face funding constraints and long development cycles while Chinese suppliers offer rapid iteration, lower-cost manufacturing and established engineering support. As competition in humanoid robots intensifies, U.S. companies are trying to build domestic supply networks, but industry figures say fully replacing Chinese manufacturing capacity in the near term remains difficult.