Trade · Thursday, October 29, 2026
President directs talks on imports of robots and factory machines
The File desk · Oct. 29, 2026, 6:35 a.m. ET
Confirmed2 primary sources
Status
- ConfirmedThe president signed the proclamation on October 28, 2026, under.
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
- ConfirmedThe operative clauses direct negotiations and an update within 180 days. They do not state a tariff rate.
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
How we know
Notes
- 1.The White House, proclamation, “into the United States,” signed the twenty-eighth day of October, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/adjusting-imports-of-robotics-industrial-machinery-and-their-parts-and-components-into-the-united-states/ The secretary of commerce transmitted a report "within the past 90 days" under "
Legal instrument
Proclamation on robotics and industrial machinery imports
Signed October 28, 2026. It directs the secretary of commerce and the U.S. trade representative to negotiate with trading partners over imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and their parts. The text does not set a new duty rate. The president says he may consider tariffs or other steps later and wants an update within 180 days.
, as amended,Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
." Paragraph 11 saysLegal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
authorizes the president to adjust imports, including by "negotiations of agreements along with other actions," and lists "tariffs, duties, quotas, and fees." The operative clauses direct negotiations and an update "within 180 days." "Depending on the status or outcome of such negotiations, I may consider alternative remedies in the future, including imposing or modifying tariffs, duties, quotas, and fees." Paragraph 2 says the equipment supported "approximately $7.1 trillion in shipments of manufactured goods in 2024" and "the production of approximately $86 billion worth of equipment in 2024." Signed by Donald J. Trump. The text does not state a percentage duty.Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
- 2.The White House, fact sheet, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Adjusts Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and their Parts and Components into the United States,” October 28, 2026. 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/ “Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation pursuant to (
Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
).” The fact sheet says the secretary of commerce and the trade representative are to negotiate, and that the president may take other actions he deems necessary. It does not state a rate.Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
What is still unknown or disputed
- The commerce secretary's name. The proclamation says "Secretary of Commerce" and does not print a personal name.
- Which countries will be asked to negotiate. The text says any partner the secretary and the trade representative deem appropriate.
- A duty rate. None is stated in the proclamation or the fact sheet.
- The secretary's full report. The proclamation summarizes it. The report itself was not opened.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Adjusting Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and Their Parts and Components into the United States
The White House · October 28, 2026
The president directed negotiations under
and did not set a duty rate in the operative clauses.Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/adjusting-imports-of-robotics-industrial-machinery-and-their-parts-and-components-into-the-united-states/
Source 2
Fact sheet: President Donald J. Trump adjusts imports of robotics and industrial machinery
The White House · October 28, 2026
The fact sheet says the president signed the proclamation on October 28, 2026, pursuant to
, and describes negotiations rather than a rate.Legal instrument
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
Section 232, at 19 U.S.C. 1862, lets the president adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when those imports threaten to impair national security. The Oct. 28, 2026 proclamation says that authority can include negotiations and, if the president chooses, tariffs, quotas, or fees. The Oct. 23 proclamation says Section 338 duties apply in addition to Section 232 duties. This desk did not open the statute text.
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/