China can mass-produce humanoid robots, but buyers remain scarce

AP reports that China has built a formidable humanoid-robot supply chain without yet proving a comparably large commercial market. The country had more than 140 humanoid manufacturers and over 330 models in 2025, according to its industry ministry. Omdia estimates more than 13,000 humanoids shipped globally that year; Chinese leaders AGIBOT and Unitree each shipped over 5,000, while U.S. rivals shipped far fewer. But investors and operators say useful deployments remain constrained because many robots still struggle to deliver reliable economic value outside carefully designed demonstrations. The gap matters because physical AI is becoming a major investment theme: manufacturing scale can reduce costs quickly, but sustainable demand will depend on robots reliably performing valuable factory, logistics, service, and household work.

Key details: June 6, 2026, More than 140 Chinese humanoid manufacturers, More than 330 models in 2025, More than 13,000 global shipments, AGIBOT, Unitree.

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