On October 28, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation titled “Adjusting Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and Their Parts and Components into the United States,” directing the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to jointly pursue negotiations with trading partners to address the national security threat posed by these imports. Rather than imposing tariffs or quotas now, the proclamation makes negotiated agreements the initial remedy.
The action follows a Commerce investigation initiated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (see Update of September 25, 2025). The Secretary found that robotics, industrial machinery, and their parts and components “are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States,” and the President concurred.
According to the proclamation, the Secretary found that:
- robotics and industrial machinery support production of defense systems such as aircraft, tanks, ships, weapons, and munitions;
- robotics and industrial machines are crucial to the United States’ critical infrastructure sectors and other key aspects of the United States economy;
- the United States relies on foreign imports for most types of robotics and industrial machinery and their components, and the value of those imports has increased over the last decade;
- robotics and machinery from “certain foreign entities pose unique security and safety risks,” including cybersecurity vulnerabilities, because they routinely process and store sensitive data; and
- domestic industry does not produce enough of these products to meet national security needs.
The proclamation states that, “[d]epending on the status or outcome of such negotiations,” the President “may consider alternative remedies in the future, including imposing or modifying tariffs, duties, quotas, and fees; and establishing a program to incentivize new investment in United States production of robotics and industrial machinery, as well as their parts and components.” It also notes that, under 19 U.S.C. 1862(c)(3)(A), the President may take other actions “to adjust imports to eliminate the threat that the imported article poses to the national security” if an agreement is not entered into within 180 days, is not being carried out, or is ineffective.
The Secretary and USTR must update the President on the negotiations within 180 days of the date of the proclamation. Importers and manufacturers that rely on imported robotics and industrial machinery should consider monitoring these negotiations, as tariffs, quotas, fees, or other actions remain possible.
Notably, the security concerns regarding foreign-sourced robotics echo recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) actions adding advanced robotic devices and power inverters to the FCC Covered List (see Update of August 4, 2026; see also Update of August 26, 2026).