Trump Puts Tariffs of Up to 100% on Foreign-Made Drones

The Trump administration imposed tariffs of up to 100 percent on drones on Thursday, continuing its long-running campaign to thwart the Chinese drone industry and promote domestic manufacturing.

A 100 percent tariff applies to drones that weigh more than 55 pounds or use thermal imaging. Those drones, the vast majority of which are made in China, have become essential for many law enforcement officials, as they’re used to track wildfires and find lost people. Smaller drones have a tariff of 25 percent.

President Trump, whose two eldest sons have ties to the U.S. drone industry, announced the levies last month after a Commerce Department investigation deemed reliance on foreign drones and components a national security threat.

The Trump administration argued that the United States must be weaned off its reliance on China for drone technology. It is estimated that a single Chinese company — Shenzhen-based DJI — manufactures more than 70 percent of the world’s commercial drones.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/business/trump-drone-tariffs.html