Chinese firms shipped 96 percent of dexterous humanoid hands this year

Chinese companies shipped 96 percent of dexterous hands with six or more active degrees of freedom in the first half of 2026, Smart Analytics Global told AI Business. The Western share is 4 percent. That is still small, but SAG said it has roughly quadrupled since 2025, with Figure AI a notable buyer and builder.

The split is strategic as much as geographic. Chinese suppliers are selling hands as a standalone part. Western humanoid makers more often keep the hand in-house or custom. Linda Sui, founder of SAG, said China’s component chain gives humanoid makers more choices and can cut cost and development time.

Hands remain the scarce piece. A humanoid that walks is no longer the headline. A hand that can do a shift of real work still is, and most of those hands are coming from one country’s suppliers.