United States Orders Trade Talks on Robot and Machinery Imports Without Tariffs

The United States ordered trade talks on imported robots and industrial machinery on Oct. 28, 2026, with no new tariffs yet.

On Oct. 28, 2026, President Donald Trump ordered trade talks on imported robots, industrial machinery and their parts, without new tariffs for now.

The order is Proclamation 11077, issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962¹. That law lets the president limit imports that threaten national security. It was placed on public view on Oct. 30, 2026, and printed in the Federal Register, the U.S. government’s official journal, on Nov. 2, 2026¹.

In short, a shipment of robots or machine tools entering the United States pays no new duty under this order today. But the president keeps the power to add tariffs, quotas or fees later if the talks fail¹.

What does the robotics proclamation do?

The proclamation directs two officials to negotiate with trading partners. They are the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the official who leads U.S. trade talks¹. They may open new talks or continue current ones with any partner they choose¹.

The White House fact sheet says the talks cover imports from any country². No country is named or left out in the proclamation itself.

The proclamation sets out three tasks:

1. The Secretary of Commerce and the USTR negotiate agreements with trading partners¹.
2. They report to the president on the talks from time to time, with one report within 180 days of Oct. 28, 2026¹.
3. The Secretary of Commerce keeps watching imports and tells the president if further action may be needed¹.

None of these steps changes the duty on a shipment at the border today. The order changes the outlook for buyers and sellers of machinery, not the customs entry itself.

Why did the president act on robots and machinery?

The order follows an investigation by the Department of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce sent his report to the president within the 90 days before the proclamation¹. He found that these goods are imported in such amounts and conditions that they threaten to impair national security¹. The president agreed with that finding¹.

The proclamation gives several reasons. Nearly all modern defense systems and critical infrastructure need robots or industrial machines to work or to be made¹. Factories use them to build aircraft, tanks, ships, weapons and munitions¹.

The proclamation also gives the size of the sector. Robots and industrial machinery supported about $7.1 trillion in shipments of manufactured goods in 2024¹. The United States produced about $86 billion worth of this equipment in the same year¹.

How much does the United States rely on imported machinery?

The Secretary found that the United States relies on imports for most types of robots and industrial machines and their parts¹. The value of these imports has grown over the last decade, and he expects it to keep growing¹.

He also found that U.S. factories make less of this equipment than the country uses¹. Domestic makers cannot meet demand, and some of their capacity sits unused¹. This is true despite a recent surge in new factory investment².

The proclamation points to a security risk as well. Robots and machines often process and store sensitive data¹. When they come from certain foreign suppliers, they can create cybersecurity weaknesses, gaps that attackers could use¹. The proclamation does not name those suppliers.

Which goods does the robotics investigation cover?

The proclamation covers robotics, industrial machinery and their parts and components¹. It does not list tariff codes. The Commerce Department’s notice opening the investigation, published on Sept. 26, 2025, gave a fuller description³.

That notice said the goods include robots and programmable, computer-controlled mechanical systems³. It listed these types of equipment:

• Machine tools such as CNC machining centers, which are machines run by computer instructions, and turning and milling machines³.
• Grinding and deburring equipment, which smooths metal edges, and industrial stamping and pressing machines³.
• Automatic tool changers, jigs and fixtures, and machine tools for cutting, welding and handling workpieces³.
• Special metalworking equipment, such as autoclaves, industrial ovens, metal finishing equipment, electrical discharge machining (EDM) machines, and laser and water cutting tools³.

The notice left out unmanned aircraft systems, or drones³. Drones were covered by a different Section 232 investigation³. The White House says drones already face Section 232 tariffs².

The proclamation also mentions advanced robots used by the military. These include humanoid robots, four-legged robots and self-driving ground vehicles¹. They help with surveillance, mine clearing and moving injured soldiers¹.

Who is affected by the robotics order?

The goods reach far into the economy. The proclamation says industrial robots are heavily used in the car, electrical and electronics industries¹. They are also used in metal and machinery, plastics and chemicals, and food and drink¹.

Industrial machines help make construction equipment, electronics, medical devices, metal products, motor vehicles and aircraft¹. The proclamation says these goods support products in all 16 critical infrastructure sectors of the United States¹.

For each group, the effect is different:

• U.S. importers of robots and machine tools pay no new Section 232 duty from this order. They still face the chance of tariffs, quotas or fees later¹.
• Foreign makers in partner countries may see their governments negotiate terms for these goods with Washington¹.
• U.S. factory buyers in sectors such as cars and aircraft rely on these imports, so any later tariff would raise their equipment costs.
• U.S. machinery makers are the group the order aims to strengthen¹.

Could tariffs on industrial machinery still come?

Yes. The proclamation keeps that option open. The president may later consider tariffs, duties, quotas and fees on these goods, depending on how the talks go¹. He may also set up a program to encourage new investment in U.S. production of robots, machines and parts¹.

Section 232 lets the president adopt a plan of action and adjust it over time¹. If a negotiated agreement is not reached within 180 days, is not carried out, or does not work, he may take other actions¹. The fact sheet repeats that the president may take further steps to remove the threat².

The proclamation also cites Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974. This law lets the president write duty or import limit changes into the Harmonized Tariff Schedule¹. That schedule is the official list of U.S. import duties. No such change is made in this proclamation.

How does this fit with other Section 232 actions?

The White House presents the order as part of a wider series. It says the president has used Section 232 to impose or raise tariffs on many goods². These include steel, aluminum, copper, cars, trucks, timber and lumber, semiconductors, medicines, polysilicon and drones².

The robotics order is different from most of these. It starts with negotiations, not tariffs¹. The proclamation says any earlier proclamation or executive order that conflicts with it gives way to it¹.

When are the next robotics dates?

The investigation began on Sept. 2, 2025³. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the agency that runs these investigations, asked for public comments by Oct. 17, 2025³.

The president signed the proclamation on Oct. 28, 2026¹. It was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 2, 2026¹.

The next fixed date is the report on the talks. The Secretary of Commerce and the USTR must give the president an update within 180 days of Oct. 28, 2026¹. That is by April 26, 2027. The same 180-day period marks the point after which the president may act if no agreement exists¹.

Key points on the robotics and machinery order

The table sums up the order and its dates.

For now, robots and machine tools cross the U.S. border on the same terms as before. The update due within 180 days of Oct. 28, 2026, is the next point when new tariffs or quotas could follow¹.

Sources

1. ↩ Federal Register :: Adjusting Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and Their Parts and Components Into the United States https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/02/2026-22385/adjusting-imports-of-robotics-industrial-machinery-and-their-parts-and-components-into-the-united
2. ↩ Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Adjusts Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and their Parts and Components into the United States – The White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/10/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-adjusts-imports-of-robotics-industrial-machinery-and-their-parts-and-components-into-the-united-states/
3. ↩ Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 185 (Friday, September 26, 2025) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-09-26/html/2025-18749.htm