# Trump Directs Wind Turbine Trade Talks, Leaves Future Remedies Open

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/38977
Published: 2026-10-23T12:51:19.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T12:51:19.000Z
Section: Regulation

> His Oct. 22 proclamation calls for an update within 180 days and leaves existing metals tariffs unchanged.

President Donald J. Trump on Oct. 22 directed U.S. officials to negotiate with foreign trading partners over wind turbine imports after concurring with the Commerce Department’s finding that the imports threaten national security. The proclamation leaves existing metals tariffs in place and sets no new duty specifically for turbines.

The order instructs the Commerce secretary and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to pursue or continue negotiations with partners they consider appropriate. They must provide Trump at least one update within 180 days. The proclamation names no trading partners and sets no terms for an agreement.

Commerce’s assessment, summarized in the proclamation, found that imports of turbine components had risen over the past decade, while U.S. manufacturing capacity for some products, including blades, had not meaningfully increased. The department also cited potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities from foreign-made networked inverters. It raised concerns that turbine radar interference could affect air traffic control, weather forecasting and military systems, and argued that wind’s intermittent output can burden the electric grid.

Commerce opened its Section 232 investigation into turbine imports on Aug. 13, 2025. The proclamation follows a separate tariff action from that year: on Aug. 19, Commerce added wind turbines and parts to 407 derivative steel and aluminum product categories. The 50% duty applies to the steel and aluminum content of covered products.

Trump’s order leaves existing Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper unchanged; those duties already apply to some turbine components. Section 232, part of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, allows the president to adjust imports found to threaten national security.

Trump left further action dependent on the negotiations. “Depending on the status or outcome of such negotiations, I may consider alternative remedies in the future,” he wrote. The next required step is at least one update to Trump within 180 days.