President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Wednesday over foreign-made equipment that the White House warned could leave the nation’s power system vulnerable to sabotage and catastrophic disruption.
Trump signed an executive order aimed at protecting “the security, integrity, and reliability” of electric equipment used in the country’s bulk-power system, according to the White House.
The order blames an “unusual and extraordinary foreign threat to the United States involving bulk-power systems produced abroad that may present national security vulnerabilities.”
Among other things, Trump’s order “generally prohibits certain foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment, including associated critical software and digital capabilities that could pose cybersecurity or operational risks, from being purchased or installed in the United States.”
According to the White House, the order targets transactions involving foreign nationals that create an “undue risk of sabotage, unauthorized access or other disruption.”
It also applies to equipment posing an “undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resiliency of U.S. critical infrastructure, or an unacceptable risk to the security of the U.S.”
The administration said rapid growth in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and defense production has increased the country’s reliance on foreign electrical components.
Federal officials have been directed by Trump's Wednesday emergency declaration to identify potentially dangerous equipment and make recommendations to prevent foreign actors from “crippling critical infrastructure.”