Fanuc Robotic Arm will move its product bins on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 during a media tour at Amazon.com Inc. DAB2 Fulfillment Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. Photographer: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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The Trump administration has launched a national security investigation into the imports of robotics, industrial machinery and medical devices. This is a move that can pave the way for fresh tariffs and increase costs for consumers, hospitals and manufacturers.
The Commerce Department said that the probe, which opened on September 2 under Section 232 of Section 232 on September 2, would assess whether such imports would pose a threat to US national security, according to a filing of the federal register.
Modern probes expand on the list of items that may be exposed to higher tariffs and include personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, N95 respirators, gloves, and other medical supplies such as syringes, needles and prescription medications.
It has also been expanded to imported medical devices such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, pacemakers, insulin pumps, and cardiac valves.
The probe can be used as a justification for fresh sector tariffs aimed at boosting domestic production of goods deemed important to national security.
The division is seeking companies’ comment on the expected demand for these products and whether domestic production can meet local demand and the role of foreign supply chains.
Companies are also invited to outline the effects of foreign subsidies and what the administration described as “predatory trade practices.”
The Trump administration previously called Section 232 to impose taxes on cars and parts, copper, steel and aluminum.
Research into the import of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and chip components such as silicon wafers, chip making equipment and related downstream products is also underway, reflecting Washington’s concerns about its dependence on overseas supply chains.
The European Union and Japan have reached an agreement that can protect them from extra taxation, but the new obligations stemming from sector-specific probes will stack up on US President Doan Trump’s country-specific tariffs.
According to data from the US International Trade Commission, the US is heavily dependent on Mexico and China, with imports from both countries accounting for more than 18% and 17% of US machine purchases in 2023.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the automotive industry may have been hit hardest by the latest potential tariffs as it accounted for the greatest demand for industrial robots, 13,747 installations last year. Most of these robots are imported, with few manufacturers producing them in the US, the group said.
Potential collection of medical devices and protective equipment could increase hospitals and patients’ costs and reduce access to critical equipment and care, experts warn.
Culver City, CA – September 23: Details of vials and syringes containing COVID-19 vaccination by Pfizer at the Kaiser Permanente Venice Clinic building in Culver City on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Vials, syringes and vaccination details.
Allen J. Shaven | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
“MedTech supply chain leaders have already reported supply chain concerns and cannot afford to raise healthcare costs for patients or healthcare systems,” said Scott Whitaker, CEO of an industry association representing medical technology and device manufacturers. “The reality is that the increased costs are primarily borne by taxpayer-funded health programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid and (the Veterans’ Health Administration).”
The hospital’s trade group has also been sounding alarms this year, warning that high tariffs could undermine the quality of care.
“The disruption in the availability of these critical devices (many of which are sourced internationally) can disrupt patient care,” said Rick Pollack, CEO of the American Hospital Association, in April.
– CNBC’s Bertha Coombs contributed to this report.
