U.S. humanoid robot manufacturers are successfully building robots domestically by vertically integrating production, contradicting recent claims that manufacturing without China is nearly impossible. Companies like 1X, which makes the Neo humanoid robot shipping this year for $20,000, are designing and manufacturing critical components in-house, including motors, batteries, actuators, and sensors. This strategy gives them control over their supply chains while keeping costs competitive.

Can American Companies Really Compete With China's Robot Manufacturing Advantage?

The New York Times recently argued that building humanoid robots without China is "nearly impossible," citing the country's advantages in electric vehicle supply chains and component pricing. But companies operating in Hayward, California, and across the American West are proving otherwise. 1X, for instance, manufactures everything from copper motor coils to the tendons that move Neo's limbs right here in the United States.

1X's approach goes beyond simple assembly. The company stated in April 2026 that it "design[s] and manufacture[s] NEO's critical components in-house, including motors, batteries, structures, transmission systems, soft goods, sensors and more." This level of control extends to what many would consider unglamorous work: cutting metal parts and running fully automated motor manufacturing lines.

"We've been able to drive the BOM cost super low. Because we're so vertically integrated, we make so many things in-house and we do all of our manufacturing here in the US, we're able to control our supply chain," said Dar Sleeper, head of design and product at 1X.

Dar Sleeper, Head of Design and Product at 1X

1X is not alone in this strategy. Figure AI, maker of the Figure 03 humanoid robot, has chosen significant vertical integration as well, focusing on in-house assembly of core technology including actuators, hands, batteries, and final assembly. For batteries, a component where China dominates globally, Figure is building them in-house.

How Are U.S. Robot Makers Building Independent Supply Chains?

• In-House Component Manufacturing: Companies like 1X manufacture motors, batteries, transmission systems, sensors, and structural components domestically rather than relying on overseas suppliers.
• Proprietary Actuator Development: Phantom, a Silicon Valley humanoid startup, is already manufacturing its own proprietary cycloid actuators, while Apptronik builds in Texas and Agility Robotics operates a massive RofoFab factory in Salem, Oregon.
• Scaling Production Capacity: 1X is building capacity to expand to 100,000-plus annual production by the end of 2027, with a second California facility already in the pipeline, while Figure plans to hit similar numbers.
• Rare Earth Magnet Alternatives: With China controlling most global rare earth magnet supplies, U.S. companies are developing alternatives through MP Materials, Niron Magnetics, and Evolution Metals and Technologies, which is targeting 10,000 metric tons of annual capacity from recycled materials.

Standard Bots, which recently raised $200 million in funding, plans to make everything in America. These aren't small operations; they represent a fundamental shift in how American robotics companies approach manufacturing.

The strategy mirrors China's approach to building its electric vehicle industry, but in reverse. Rather than trying to out-source China component by component, American manufacturers are vertically integrating across the entire production chain, from actuator design through battery production to final assembly and physical AI development.

What Advantages Do American Robot Makers Actually Have?

While China enjoys massive governmental support for robotics and a well-established supply chain, American companies have their own competitive strengths. Western manufacturers have better access to advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia and other suppliers, plus they're developing their own proprietary physical AI foundation models. By contrast, some Chinese competitors like UBTech import chips that control their robots' movements, and Unitree relies on Nvidia simulation software to train its robots.

The real challenge isn't sourcing individual components; it's building robots that work reliably, operate at reasonable speed and accuracy, don't break down frequently, and can scale their physical intelligence to handle increasingly complex tasks over time. This puzzle exists everywhere robots are being developed, whether in China, America, or elsewhere.

Vertical integration comes with real costs and risks, but it solves a critical problem: no single foreign supplier sits in the path of production. This approach gives American companies control over their destiny at a moment when geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions have become routine concerns. The evidence suggests that building world-class humanoid robots without China isn't nearly impossible. Multiple companies are doing it today.