US imposes new tariffs on drone imports
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing new tariffs on drones and their components imported into the country. For some types of drones, the tariff will reach 100 percent of their value.
US imposes new tariffs on drone imports
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on August 13 to impose tariffs on imports of drones and their components. The White House press service reported this.
According to the document, a 100 percent tariff will be applied to unmanned aerial vehicles of certain sizes or capabilities that are of particular importance to national security. Such a tariff will also apply to drone docking stations and some important components.
In particular, for drones with a maximum take-off weight of more than 25 kilograms and equipped with thermal imagers, the tariff rate will be 100 percent of the product value.
A 25 percent import tariff has been set for drones with a maximum take-off weight of 25 kilograms and less.
However, special rates are provided for some countries. A 15 percent tariff will be applied to drones and their components imported from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Liechtenstein. The tariff rate for British products is set at 10 percent.
The new tariffs will take effect 21 days after the proclamation is signed. Duties on drone components that are not of particular importance to US national security will begin to apply 180 days after the document is signed.
The White House explained the introduction of the new tariffs in the interests of national security.
According to the US administration, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a key technology in modern armed conflicts and are of great importance for the country's current and future military operations.
At the same time, it was noted that the fact that the production of drones in the United States remains dependent on foreign companies that supply important components poses a threat to national and cybersecurity.
Therefore, Washington aims to rapidly increase the volume of domestic production of drones.
AFP, in its report on the new tariffs, drew attention to China's large share of the global drone industry.
The Telegraph recently reported that naval reconnaissance drones belonging to the British Navy were secretly transmitting data to China due to components made in China.
Bloomberg also reported in February that Chinese drones were being delivered to Russia via Thailand. According to the agency, Russia imported $125 million worth of drones from Thailand in the first 11 months of 2025.
Bloomberg also previously reported that China has reduced the supply of some key drone components to Western countries, while increasing exports of such products to Russia.
The US administration is aiming to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, develop the domestic drone industry and encourage the domestic production of technologies important for national security.