Citing Cyber Threats, Trump Orders Ban on Buying Energy Sector Equipment from Foreign Adversaries

President Trump has directed the Secretary of Energy to issue rules within 150 days banning U.S. entities from procuring foreign equipment that the administration says could make the nation’s electricity systems vulnerable to cyberattacks. The restriction is to cover equipment “designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries.” The rules must be coordinated with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies as appropriate. Similar rules from the Commerce Department related to China and Huawei received considerable push-back from industry.