Trump declares robot imports a national security threat

President Donald Trump has declared the imports of foreign-made factory robots to be a national security threat—ordering new US negotiations with trading partners while holding out the possibility of imposing new tariffs on such robot imports in the future.

Issued on October 28, Trump’s presidential proclamation represents heightened government scrutiny of foreign-made industrial robots that could complicate the manufacturing operations of major US corporations that rely on such robots. Those companies include Detroit automakers General Motors and Ford, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, and aerospace and defense giants like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Trump’s proclamation describes industrial robots and machinery as being crucial for producing US military weapon systems along with representing a “driving force” behind all critical infrastructure sectors within the US economy. The proclamation cites an investigation under US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick as having found that US imports of such robots “pose[] risks to the United States industrial base and threatens the long-term competitiveness of the United States in a sector that is increasingly vital to national security.”

The Department of Commerce investigation also supposedly found “unique security and safety risks” that may introduce “significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities that can result in severe consequences to the United States.”

Such wording echoes justifications used by Trump’s Federal Communications Commission when it banned new models of foreign-made robots, such as robotic vacuums, four-legged robot dogs, and humanoid robots, in July 2026. But that FCC action had specifically exempted industrial robot arms and other fixed or stationary robots commonly deployed in automotive factories and logistics warehouses.

Now Trump’s directive for the United States and trading partners “to adjust imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and their components” aims to strike new agreements on the issue within 180 days of the proclamation’s date. If no agreements have been reached by then, the proclamation warns that the president may take additional actions, like imposing “tariffs, duties, quotas, and fees” on such imports.