Trump Orders Trade Talks on Wind Turbine Imports, Holds Off on New Tariffs

President Donald Trump directed his top trade officials on Thursday to negotiate agreements on imports of wind turbines and their parts, after concurring with a finding that the imports threaten to impair the national security of the United States.

The proclamation, issued under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, orders Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to jointly pursue negotiations with trading partners, or continue talks already under way, and to update the president on the status or outcome of those talks. At least one update is due within 180 days of the proclamation.

No new tariffs for now

The order imposes no new tariffs. Trump wrote that, depending on the status or outcome of the negotiations, he may consider alternative remedies in the future. The proclamation also says the president may take other action if an agreement is not reached within 180 days, is not carried out, or proves ineffective.

Existing tariffs stay as they are. The proclamation does not modify the tariffs imposed under earlier section 232 measures on aluminum, steel and copper, which already cover certain wind turbine components.

What the investigation found

Trump concurred with the commerce secretary's finding that wind turbines and their components and subcomponents are being imported in circumstances that threaten national security. According to the proclamation, the secretary described wind energy as an unreliable and intermittent source of power, and cited cybersecurity vulnerabilities in foreign made inverters, the devices that convert turbine output into electricity the grid can use. The secretary also cited interference that wind turbines can cause to radar.

The proclamation says US wind energy relies on imported components, and that domestic manufacturing capacity for some products, including turbine blades, has not meaningfully increased. The commerce secretary will keep monitoring imports of turbines and their parts, review their status on national security grounds, and tell the president about any circumstances that might point to a need for further action.

Why it matters

Section 232 is the law the administration has used to place tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and other goods on national security grounds. Using it for wind turbines puts imported renewable energy equipment inside the same trade framework, even though this proclamation stops at talks for now. For turbine makers, project developers and trading partners, the next step is the negotiation itself, and the report due to the White House within 180 days will show whether agreements were reached or whether the administration moves toward other remedies.

Reuters and Bloomberg Law both reported the proclamation on Thursday, noting that Trump held off on tariffs while ordering the talks. The full text was published by the White House under the title Adjusting Imports of Wind Turbines and Their Parts and Components into the United States.