Chinese Makers Capture 97% of Global Humanoid Robot Shipments in H1 2026

Chinese companies accounted for 97% of global humanoid robot shipments in the first half of 2026, backed by government support and a mature domestic EV supply chain. Beijing-based startup LinkerBot alone accounts for more than 80% of cutting-edge robotic hands deployed globally, according to Smart Analytics Global, and plans to double production capacity to 10,000 hands per month for clients including Samsung, Meta $META, and Siemens. China controls as much as 90% of the permanent magnets needed for rotary actuators, alongside 40% of precision bearings, 40% of sensors, and 30% of power electronics used in humanoid joints, according to McKinsey research. A Morgan Stanley analysis found that the cost of Tesla's $TSLA Optimus humanoid would nearly triple if Chinese components were excluded from its supply chain. While US firms like Physical Intelligence, Generalist, and Figure AI (valued at $39B) maintain an edge in advanced chips and embodied AI software, Chinese startups are deploying machines across domestic factories to gather real-world training data. Shanghai-based PsiBot is nearing a $1.5B valuation, and Beijing-based GigaAI neared a pre-IPO round at a $3B valuation in July ahead of a planned Hong Kong listing. Bank of America Institute analysts project the component cost of an average Chinese-made humanoid will drop by about half to below $17,000 by the end of the decade, which could boost global shipments from an estimated 20,000 units installed in 2025 to 10M by 2035. Morgan Stanley estimates the total humanoid market could top $5T by 2050. "China is ahead because they have a national strategy that goes back over a decade where they saw robots and AI as the future. The United States never had any national strategy." — Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation.