Insights

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its Covered List — established through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act — to include foreign-produced connected power inverters and advanced robotic devices, following an executive branch national security determination that they “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.” Equipment on the Covered List is ineligible for FCC equipment authorization, effectively prohibiting the import, sale, or marketing of those products without an exception or approval.

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its Covered List, established through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act to include foreign-produced connected power inverters and advanced robotic devices. The designation of these products to the Covered List follows an Executive Branch national security determination that they “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.” Equipment listed on the Covered List is ineligible for FCC equipment authorization, effectively prohibiting the import, sale, or marketing of those products absent an exception or approval. This action comes only months after the FCC added consumer-grade routers to the Covered List on March 23, 2026 and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) on December 22, 2025. Taken together, these actions reflect the FCC’s increasingly expansive approach to using its authorities to guard against foreign produced connected technologies that may create vulnerabilities enabling disruption of critical infrastructure, unauthorized access to sensitive information, or cyber intrusions. The shift is a departure from the FCC’s previous focus on equipment and services produced by certain PRC and Russian companies.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued six new general licenses, and updated a seventh that allow for many activities related to: the export of Venezuelan oil and petrochemical products from Venezuela; the exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and petrochemical products in Venezuela; the generation, transmission, storage, or distribution of electricity in Venezuela; the export to Venezuela of U.S.-origin diluents; negotiating for investment in the oil, gas, petrochemical, and electricity sectors in Venezuela; and the export of Venezuelan gold.