WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday declared imports of wind turbines and their components a threat to national security, but stopped short of imposing new tariffs on the sector.
In a White House proclamation, Trump said a Commerce Department investigation found that imported wind turbines threatened national security because of cybersecurity concerns linked to foreign-made equipment, interference with radar systems and air traffic operations, and increased US reliance on goods made overseas.
The move follows a probe launched in August 2025 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. It is one of numerous trade investigations the administration has conducted into the national security implications of imports across a range of sectors.
Instead of imposing immediate trade restrictions, Trump directed trade officials to pursue negotiations with trading partners and report back within 180 days.
Additional trade measures, including tariffs, could be considered later, the order said.
The order reiterates Trump's longstanding criticism of wind energy as unreliable because of its intermittent nature.
"Given wind energy's intermittent reliability, use of wind energy diverts the United States electrical grid from more reliable energy sources," the order said.
Major suppliers of wind turbines and components to the US include Mexico, France, India, Denmark and Germany, according to trade data cited by the centre-right think tank American Action Forum.
A spokesperson for the American Clean Power Association, a trade group representing clean energy companies, was not immediately available for comment.
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