Trump orders talks with trade partners to curb robotics and machinery imports

President Donald J. Trump has determined that imports of robotics, industrial machinery and their parts and components are entering the United States “in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security,” and has ordered his trade officials to negotiate agreements with foreign partners to adjust those flows. The decision is set out in Proclamation 11077 of 28 October 2026, signed by the President and published in the Federal Register of Monday, 2 November 2026 (Vol. 91, No. 210, pp. 69199–69202) as FR Doc. 2026-22385. No new duty, quota or fee takes effect with the proclamation itself.

The measure closes a national security investigation opened by the Department of Commerce under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862). Within the 90 days preceding the proclamation, the Secretary of Commerce transmitted the report of that investigation to the President, concluding that robotics, industrial machinery “and their components” are being imported in volumes and conditions that threaten national security. The President states that he concurs with that finding after weighing the factors set out in section 232(d) (19 U.S.C. 1862(d)), and invokes section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2483) and section 301 of title 3, United States Code as authority.

A strategic sector, dependent on imports

The proclamation frames robotics and industrial machinery as inputs without which “nearly all modern defense systems and critical infrastructure sectors” can function or be manufactured. It cites the production of aircraft, tanks, ships, weapons and munitions, and the use of advanced robots — autonomous robots, humanoid and quadruped robots and autonomous ground vehicles — for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, casualty extraction and mine detection.

The economic weight attached to the sector is substantial:

• approximately $7.1 trillion in shipments of manufactured goods in 2024;
• approximately $86 billion worth of equipment produced in 2024;
• use of industrial robots and machines across all 16 critical infrastructure sectors, notably automotive, electrical and electronics, metal and machinery, plastic and chemical products, and food and beverage;
• downstream applications including construction equipment, medical devices, metal fabrication, motor vehicles and aircraft.

The Secretary further found that the United States “relies on foreign imports for most types of robotics and industrial machinery and for their components,” that the value of those imports has risen over the past decade and is projected to keep rising, that equipment sourced from certain foreign entities carries cybersecurity risks, and that domestic output is insufficient: the country “still produces less robotics and industrial equipment than it consumes.” On that basis the Secretary recommended action to adjust imports.

A 180-day negotiating clock

Operative paragraph (1) of the proclamation directs the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to “jointly pursue or continue pursuing negotiations of agreements” with any trading partner they deem appropriate. Paragraph (2) requires them to report on the status or outcome of those talks within 180 days of 28 October 2026.

If the talks fall short, the President reserves alternatives, which the proclamation lists explicitly:

• imposing or modifying tariffs;
• duties, quotas and fees;
• establishing a program to incentivise new investment in US production of robotics, industrial machinery and their parts and components.

The text adds that action under section 232 may also follow if an agreement is not entered into within 180 days, “is not being carried out, or is ineffective,” citing 19 U.S.C. 1862(c)(3)(A). The Secretary of Commerce is additionally instructed to keep monitoring imports and to flag any circumstance that might require further presidential action.

Tariff schedule untouched for now

Because the proclamation embodies no change in duty rates, it does not modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States at this stage; section 604 is invoked as the authority that would allow such changes if the President later moves to tariffs or other restrictions. Any provision of prior proclamations and executive orders inconsistent with the new text is superseded only to the extent of the inconsistency.

The immediate effect falls on the industrial chain rather than on customs entries: manufacturers that buy robots, machine tools and components abroad, importers, and defence suppliers now face a six-month window in which the terms of access to the US market will be negotiated bilaterally, with unilateral duties, quotas or fees as the stated fallback.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 210, 2 November 2026, Presidential Documents, p. 69199 (official reference: FR Doc. 2026-22385, Proclamation 11077).