US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation directing his administration to negotiate new trade agreements aimed at safeguarding the country’s commercial aerospace industry, citing national security concerns over growing reliance on foreign aircraft, jet engines and related components.
The proclamation, issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, instructs the US Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to begin negotiations with trading partners to address what the administration describes as the threat posed by imports to the long-term health of the American aerospace sector.
Under the directive, the negotiations will focus on mitigating the impact of foreign imports on US manufacturers of commercial aircraft, jet engines and associated parts, while strengthening the domestic aerospace supply chain.
The Secretary of Commerce has also been tasked with monitoring developments and advising the President if further action under Section 232 becomes necessary.
According to the White House, commercial aircraft and their supply chains play a critical role in supporting the country’s national security infrastructure.
Large commercial aircraft are routinely used by the US government for military operations, emergency response missions, official travel, and the transportation of troops and cargo.
The administration argued that decades of foreign government intervention in global aerospace markets have steadily eroded the competitiveness of US manufacturers, resulting in declining domestic production capacity, consolidation across the industry, higher production costs and the loss of skilled manufacturing jobs.
Officials warned that continued weakening of the commercial aerospace sector could undermine the broader defence industrial base, leading to higher procurement costs, supply chain disruptions and delays in military aircraft and engine production.
