Notice2025-18749
Notice of Request for Public Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Robotics and Industrial Machinery
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 26, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentIndustry and Security Bureau
Abstract
On September 2, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of robotics and industrial machinery. This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (Section 232). Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, data, analyses, or other information pertinent to the investigation to the Department of Commerce's (Department) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security. This notice identifies issues on which the Department is especially interested in obtaining the public's views.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 185 (Friday, September 26, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 185 (Friday, September 26, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46382-46383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18749]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Industry and Security
[Docket No. 250924-0161]
XRIN 0694-XC138
Notice of Request for Public Comments on Section 232 National
Security Investigation of Imports of Robotics and Industrial Machinery
AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Strategic Industries
and Economic Security, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: On September 2, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce initiated an
investigation to determine the effects on the national security of
imports of robotics and industrial machinery. This investigation has
been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as
amended (Section 232). Interested parties are invited to submit written
comments, data, analyses, or other information pertinent to the
investigation to the Department of Commerce's (Department) Bureau of
Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Strategic Industries and
Economic Security. This notice identifies issues on which the
Department is especially interested in obtaining the public's views.
DATES: Comments may be submitted at any time but must be received by
October 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice may be submitted to the Federal
rulemaking portal at: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. The <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> ID for
this notice is BIS-2025-0257. Please refer to XRIN 0694-XC138 in all
comments.
All filers using the portal should use the name of the person or
entity submitting the comments as the name of their files, in
accordance with the instructions below. Anyone submitting business
confidential information should clearly identify the business
confidential portion at the time of submission, file a statement
justifying nondisclosure and referring to the specific legal authority
claimed, and provide a non-confidential version of the submission. For
comments submitted electronically containing business confidential
information, the file name of the business confidential version should
begin with the characters ``BC.'' Any page containing business
confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. The required corresponding non-
confidential version of those comments must be clearly marked
``PUBLIC.'' The file name of the non-confidential version should begin
with the character ``P.'' Any submissions with file names that do not
begin with either a ``BC'' or a ``P'' will be assumed to be public and
will be made publicly available at: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Commenters submitting business confidential information are encouraged
to scan a hard copy of the non-confidential version to create an image
of the file, rather than submitting a digital copy with redactions
applied, to avoid inadvertent redaction errors which could enable the
public to read business confidential information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Astle, Director, Defense
Industrial Base Division, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic
Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce,
(202) 482-4506, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#83f1ece1ecf7eae0f0b1b0b1c3e1eaf0ade7ece0ade4ecf5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ee9c818c819a878d9ddcdddcae8c879dc08a818dc0898198">[email protected]</span></a>. For more information about the
Section 232 program, including the regulations and the text of previous
investigations, see <a href="http://www.bis.doc.gov/232">www.bis.doc.gov/232</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 2, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce initiated an
investigation under Section 232 (19 U.S.C. 1862) to determine the
effects on national security of imports of robotics and industrial
machinery, and their parts and components.
For the purpose of this investigation ``robotics and industrial
machinery'' includes, among other things, robots and programmable,
computer-controlled mechanical systems. This equipment spans CNC
machining centers, turning and milling machines, grinding and deburring
equipment, and industrial stamping and pressing machines. It also
includes automatic tool changers, jigs and fixtures, and machine tools
for cutting, welding, and handling work pieces. Application-specific
specialty metalworking equipment used to treat, form, or cut metal,
such as autoclaves and industrial ovens, metal finishing and treatment
equipment, EDM machinery, and laser and water-cutting tools and
machinery is also included. The scope of this investigation does not
include unmanned aircraft systems, which are covered by a different
section 232 investigation (see 90 FR 31958).
Request for Public Comments
This investigation is being undertaken in accordance with part 705
of the National Security Industrial Base Regulations (15 CFR parts 700
to 709) (NSIBR). Interested parties are invited to submit written
comments, data, analyses, or information pertinent to this
investigation to BIS's Office of Strategic Industries and Economic
Security no later than October 17, 2025. The Department is particularly
interested in comments and information directed at the criteria listed
in Sec. 705.4 of the regulations as they affect national security,
including the following:
(i) the current, projected, and optimal demand for robotics and
industrial machinery, and their parts and components in the United
States;
(ii) the extent to which domestic production of robotics and
industrial machinery, and their parts and components can meet domestic
demand;
(iii) the role of foreign supply chains, particularly of major
exporters, in meeting United States demand for robotics and industrial
machinery, and their parts and components;
(iv) the concentration of U.S. imports of robotics and industrial
machinery, and their parts and components from a small number of
suppliers or foreign nations and the associated risks;
(v) the impact of foreign government subsidies and predatory trade
practices on the competitiveness of the robotics and industrial
machinery, and their parts and components, in the United States;
(vi) the economic impact of artificially suppressed prices of
robotics and industrial machinery, and their parts and components due
to foreign unfair trade practices and state-sponsored overproduction;
(vii) the potential for export restrictions by foreign nations,
[[Page 46383]]
including the ability of foreign nations to weaponize their control
over supplies of robotics and industrial machinery, and their parts and
components;
(viii) the feasibility of increasing domestic capacity for robotics
and industrial machinery, and their parts and components to reduce
import reliance;
(ix) the impact of current trade policies on domestic production of
robotics and industrial machinery, and their parts and components, and
whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary
to protect national security;
(x) the impact of the use or lack of use of robotics and industrial
machinery on U.S. manufacturing employment;
(xi) the potential for foreign control or exploitation of the
robotics and industrial machinery supply chain;
(xii) the ability of foreign persons to weaponize the capabilities
or attributes of foreign-built robotics and industrial machinery, and
their parts or components;
(xiii) the future role of robotics and industrial machinery in the
production of items essential to national security or in activities
related to national security; and
(xiv) any other relevant factors.
Material submitted by members of the public that is business
confidential information will be exempted from public disclosure as
provided for by Sec. 705.6 of the regulations (see the ADDRESSES
section of this notice). Communications from agencies of the United
States Government will not be made available for public inspection. BIS
does not maintain a separate public inspection facility. Requesters
should first view the Bureau's web page, which can be found at: <a href="https://efoia.bis.doc.gov/">https://efoia.bis.doc.gov/</a> (see ``Electronic FOIA'' heading). If requesters
cannot access the website, they may call (202) 482-0795 for assistance.
The records related to this assessment are made accessible in
accordance with the regulations published at 15 CFR 4.1, et seq.
Julia A. Khersonsky,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Trade.
[FR Doc. 2025-18749 Filed 9-24-25; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P
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