US President Donald Trump has directed the Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to negotiate agreements with foreign trading partners concerning imports of wind turbines and their components. The directive, issued in a presidential proclamation, follows an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The Secretary of Commerce concluded that imports of wind turbines and their components and subcomponents threaten to impair US national security.
The proclamation cites concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in imported equipment, potential interference with radar systems, and reliance on foreign-produced components. It also refers to the intermittent nature of wind energy and its effects on electricity grid operations. These are findings presented in the Secretary of Commerce’s report and adopted by the President in the proclamation.
The Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative are instructed to pursue new negotiations or continue existing discussions with trading partners they consider appropriate. They must provide Trump with at least one progress update within 180 days of the proclamation.
The Secretary of Commerce will also continue monitoring imports of wind turbines and their components and review their implications for national security. Depending on the progress and outcome of the negotiations, the President may consider further measures.
The proclamation does not introduce new tariffs on wind turbine imports. It states that existing tariffs on certain steel, aluminium and copper products, including those applicable to some wind turbine components, remain unchanged.
