The U.S. Department of Commerce has launched an investigation into the national security risks associated with the import of large trucks and their parts.
Specifically, the department wants to determine the effects on the national security of imports of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, truck components and their derivative products. Medium-duty trucks weigh more than 10,000 pounds but no more than 26,000. Trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds are considered heavy-duty.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initiated the investigation on Tuesday, April 22, and a 21-day public comment period is set to begin on Friday, April 25.
The notice includes several areas in which the department is seeking public comment:
- The current and projected demand for trucks and truck parts in the United States
- The extent to which domestic production of trucks and truck parts can meet domestic demand
- The role of foreign supply chains, particularly of major exporters, in meeting U.S. demand for trucks and truck parts
- The concentration of U.S. imports of trucks and truck parts from a small number of suppliers and the associated risks
- The impact of foreign government subsidies and predatory trade practices on the competitiveness of the medium- and heavy-duty truck industry in the United States
- The economic impact of artificially suppressed prices of trucks and truck parts due to foreign unfair trade practices and state-sponsored overproduction
- The potential for export restrictions by foreign nations, including the ability of foreign nations to weaponize their control over supplies of trucks and truck parts
- The feasibility of increasing domestic capacity for trucks and truck parts to reduce import reliance
- The impact of current trade policies on domestic production of trucks and truck parts and whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary to protect national security
- Any other relevant factors
Once the notice is published in the Federal Register, the public will be able to comment by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket No. BIS-2025-0024.
Previous rulemaking
Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the Department of Commerce started a rulemaking to address security risks involving the import of connected vehicles or components from the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
Although the initial proposal included cars and commercial motor vehicles, vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds were omitted from the final rule that was issued on Jan. 16.
Alarmingly, heavy vehicles weren’t excluded due to a lack of a cybersecurity threat. On the contrary, the agency described the threat to commercial vehicles as “grave.”
“The national security risks associated with (connected vehicles from China or Russia) are grave, and (the) decision to exclude commercial vehicles from this rulemaking in no way implies that these risks are lesser than in the passenger vehicle market,” the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security wrote in the Jan. 16 notice. “Rather, (the agency) intends to propose a separate regulation tailored to the commercial sector in the coming months.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said that the cybersecurity threats involving heavy trucks, including autonomous trucks, should not be taken lightly.
“A ‘grave’ national security threat from China and Russia should not be put on the back burner,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “OOIDA is disappointed with the department’s decision to remove heavy trucks from the scope of its rulemaking on connected vehicles … We will work with the Bureau of Industry and Security to ensure the future rule thoroughly responds to the public safety challenges of driverless 80,000-pound trucks.”
The current administration’s notice regarding national security concerns does not mention the previous administration’s proposal to address large connected vehicles from foreign adversaries. LL
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