Trump flags imported robotics as a national security risk, holds off on tariffs

A Section 232 proclamation opens a 180-day negotiation window with trading partners before any tariffs, quotas, or incentives are considered President Donald Trump has formally declared that imported robotics and industrial machinery threaten US national security. Then he did something unusual for this administration: he did not slap on a tariff. Instead, the proclamation he signed on October 28, 2026, sends US negotiators to talk with trading partners first. Tariffs, quotas, or domestic investment incentives remain possible. They just have to wait their turn. What the proclamation actually does The move rests on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. That provision gives the president authority to act on imports when the Commerce Department finds they pose a threat to national security. Commerce reached that conclusion here. Its investigation found that imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and their parts fit the bill. Rather than impose penalties right away, the proclamation directs two officials to take the lead. The Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative must negotiate with trading partners to adjust import levels. They have 180 days to get it done. After ...