Proclamation 11077: section 232 negotiations on robotics and industrial machinery imports

What happened

On October 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed Proclamation 11077, "Adjusting Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and Their Parts and Components Into the United States." It was published in the Federal Register on November 2, 2026, at 91 FR 69199. The proclamation acts under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, 19 U.S.C. 1862, and directs negotiations with trading partners. It does not impose tariffs, duties, quotas or fees.

What the proclamation says

The proclamation recites that the Secretary of Commerce transmitted a report on a section 232 investigation and "found and advised me of his opinion that robotics, industrial machinery, and their components are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States."

According to the text, the Secretary's findings were that robotics and industrial machinery support the production of defense systems "such as aircraft, tanks, ships, weapons, and munitions"; that they are used across "all 16 critical infrastructure sectors"; that "the United States relies on foreign imports for most types of robotics and industrial machinery and for their components"; that equipment from certain foreign entities "can pose significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities"; and that the domestic industry "does not produce enough robotics, industrial machinery, and their components to meet national security needs."

The President states: "I concur with the Secretary's finding," and determines "that it is necessary and appropriate to enter into negotiations with trading partners to adjust imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and their components so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security of the United States."

The operative clauses:

• The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative "shall jointly pursue or continue pursuing negotiations of agreements" on these imports. The proclamation adds: "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; and establishing a program to incentivize new investment in United States production."
• The two officials are to update the President on the negotiations from time to time, with one update "within 180 days of the date of this proclamation."
• The Secretary is to continue monitoring these imports and inform the President of circumstances that "might indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232."
• Inconsistent provisions of earlier proclamations and executive orders are superseded, and the proclamation contains a severability clause.

The proclamation cites as its authority "the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 232; section 604; and section 301 of title 3, United States Code." It describes section 232 as including "the authority to adopt and carry out a plan of action, with adjustments over time," and states that if an agreement "is not entered into within 180 days of the date of this proclamation, is not being carried out, or is ineffective," the President "may also take other actions he deems necessary to adjust imports," citing 19 U.S.C. 1862(c)(3)(A).

Where it sits in the record

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power "To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" and "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations." Section 232 is a statute in which Congress authorized the President to act on imports that the Secretary of Commerce finds threaten to impair national security. Proclamation 11077 relies on that statutory authority, together with section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 and 3 U.S.C. 301, as its text states.

This is the first entry in the Constilumen record on section 232 import adjustments.