Washington — The CCIA Research Center has released a new analysis, “The Supply Chain Costs of the FCC’s 2026 Covered List Regime,” finding that the Federal Communications Commission’s 2026 Covered List actions could impose $5.3 billion in costs over five years, with total exposure reaching approximately $7.7 billion if proposed rules are adopted.
The analysis calculates that the FCC’s published estimate of $489 million substantially understates the potential cost of the broader regime. The FCC’s estimate covers only rules the Commission adopted on July 22, 2026, and was released just five days before power inverters and advanced robotic devices were added to the Covered List.
Since December 2025, the FCC and federal government have expanded the Covered List beyond its historical focus on specifically identified foreign adversary-controlled producers and providers. New production-location restrictions now apply to unmanned aircraft systems, consumer routers, power inverters, and advanced robotics, making where products are manufactured a determining factor in whether they can access the U.S. market.
The following quote may be attributed to the report’s author, Trevor Wagener, who serves as CCIA’s Chief Economist and Director of the CCIA Research Center:
“The FCC can protect national security without forcing American companies to abandon trusted global supply chains. Our analysis finds that a more targeted approach, focused on foreign adversaries while preserving access to trusted suppliers in friendly countries, could save U.S. businesses more than $4 billion over five years.”
