Trump declares national emergency, bans some foreign power equipment over security threats

Jerusalem Post/World NewsLast year, Reuters reported that rogue communication devices not listed in product documents had been found in some Chinese solar power inverters ​by US experts.Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald Trump reacts as he and members of his administration deliver remarks to reporters on the Trump administration's support for coal energy production, among other topics, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington(photo credit: JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS)AUGUST 26, 2026 23:41US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday declaring a national emergency and banning the use of some foreign equipment in the US electricity grid, the White House said.The order cites what the White House described as an "unusual and extraordinary foreign threat" posed by foreign-made bulk-power systems that may present national security vulnerabilities.Trump's order, the latest example of ⁠Washington's approach to tackling technology threats posed by China, follows a decision by the European Commission earlier this year to ban Chinese-made inverters from publicly funded energy projects.Last year, Reuters reported that rogue communication devices not listed in product documents had been found in some Chinese solar power inverters ​by US experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues.Flags of China and U.S. are displayed on a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips, in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/FLORENCE LO/ILLUSTRATION)US considers technology 'extraordinary threat,' executive order says"I ... find that the situation with respect to the foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and hereby declare a national emergency with respect to that threat," Trump said in the order.Under the order, certain foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment, including associated critical software and digital capabilities that could pose cybersecurity or operational risks, will be barred from being purchased or installed in the United States, the White House said in a statement.The order also asks the US Energy Secretary to impose conditions on the continued use and operation of such equipment to address concerns identified by the Trump administration, the White House added.Follow us on Google