U.S. Begins Imposing Tariffs of Up to 100% on Imported Drones, Targeting Chinese Products

[Financial News] The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has begun imposing tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-made drones, targeting China’s drone industry.
The measures, combined with stringent regulations proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), are expected to trigger a strong backlash from local fire departments, police forces and related industries.
On the 3rd, local time, The New York Times (NYT) reported that the Trump administration had begun applying a 100% tariff to Chinese-made drones weighing more than 55 pounds, or approximately 25 kilograms, or equipped with thermal-imaging cameras. Small drones are subject to a 25% tariff.
Drones from allied countries face lower tariffs: products from South Korea, the European Union (EU), Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan are subject to a 15% tariff, while those from the United Kingdom face a 10% tariff.
The FCC is seeking to reclassify drones equipped with technologies such as thermal imaging as “military equipment,” which could block imports of products used by thousands of U.S. companies and public safety organizations, the NYT reported.
In December last year, the FCC banned the sale of all new foreign-made drones that had not received special exemptions. This time, it has also moved to prevent older models from being imported.
The Trump administration took the latest action based on the results of a national security threat investigation by the United States Department of Commerce. The stated rationale is to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, including DJI, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, which produces more than 70% of commercial drones worldwide, and to strengthen the domestic manufacturing base.
Critics, however, argue that the measure is nothing more than lobbying by U.S. manufacturers carried out under the guise of national security, as well as protectionism.
There are also concerns that the U.S. drone industry will be unable to fill the supply gap and that the administration’s sudden policy change will cause more harm than benefit.
Beyond the tariffs, the FCC’s efforts to reclassify drones equipped with thermal-imaging and aerosol-spraying technologies as “military equipment” are also causing major repercussions.
Big Moss, an aerial photographer who attended a commercial drone expo in Las Vegas, criticized the measure, saying, “This is a ban that will kill the industry when there are no U.S.-made products available to replace them.” In fact, numerous private companies, including construction-site monitoring firms and industrial drone rental companies, have publicly submitted more than 3,000 comments, expressing concern about massive economic losses totaling millions of dollars and declining public safety.
The New York Times also reported that Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., the sons of President Donald Trump, are shareholders and advisers to U.S. drone manufacturer Dominera Holdings. Donald Trump Jr. is also an adviser to Unusual Machines, the largest U.S. manufacturer of drone components, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.
[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter