Trump Deems Imports of Robots and Industrial Machinery a National Security Threat, Orders Talks Without Imposing Tariffs

President Trump signed a proclamation on October 28, 2026, saying imports of robots, industrial machinery and their parts could undermine U.S. national security. Reuters reported that no tariffs were imposed that day. The proclamation directs the commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative to negotiate with trading partners and report progress to the president within 180 days.

The White House said U.S. domestic production of robots and industrial machinery does not meet demand, making reliance on imports a national security concern. The directive does not impose tariffs immediately, but it puts both finished products and parts within the scope of negotiations and establishes a framework that could allow import-adjustment measures depending on the outcome of any agreements.

The scope of the measure is defined not by a specific tariff rate but by its reach beyond robots to industrial machinery and parts. The White House proclamation says these products are used in defense, commercial and dual-use manufacturing, as well as across 16 U.S. critical infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, the figures in the document for 2024 — about $7.1 trillion in manufacturing shipments and about $86 billion in equipment production — are not import figures for robots and industrial machinery. They should be understood as figures illustrating the government’s view that the sectors covered are connected to manufacturing activity as a whole. The policy’s novel feature is that, while identifying national security concerns, it opts to negotiate with trading partners first rather than impose tariffs immediately. The White House cites import dependence and insufficient domestic production capacity, and also notes the commerce secretary’s determination that robots and machinery process and store sensitive data, and that products originating from certain foreign entities pose cybersecurity risks. The rationale for the measure therefore spans both supply capacity and data and security concerns. However, the proclamation does not say that all imports pose a general danger, and it does not name any specific country or company. The implications for industrial structure are that policy decisions could affect imports used to support U.S. manufacturing equipment, since negotiations cover not only finished robots but also their parts and industrial machinery. At this stage, what has been decided is to hold negotiations, not to ban imports or impose tariffs. The proclamation, however, leaves tariffs, quotas and other measures as options for subsequent action. The report due within 180 days will mark a point to assess progress, but the parties to any agreement, the products covered and the terms have not been specified. Points to watch include which products and parts the negotiations cover, what measures may be chosen if no agreement is reached, and how the expansion of domestic production capacity will be addressed.

The proclamation follows an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The president agreed with the commerce secretary’s determination that imports of robots, industrial machinery and their parts could undermine national security. The two officials are to negotiate with trading partners they deem appropriate and continue any existing negotiations. The proclamation says import-adjustment measures could include tariffs, fees other than tariffs and quotas, in addition to negotiations. It also provides for possible additional measures if an agreement is not reached within 180 days, is not implemented, or is inadequate to address the threat.