US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States is imposing import duties on foreign-manufactured drones and their constituent hardware, extending the penalties to select close international partners.
The administration defended the measure by stating the nation relies excessively on international producers for its drone supply, reported Reuters.
Under Thursday’s presidential proclamation, a 100% ad valorem duty will apply to unmanned aerial systems (UAS) meeting specific dimensional or operational criteria tied to critical national security considerations, while smaller drone models will face a 25% import penalty.
The official White House notice also specifies tailored rates for key partners, levying a 15% tariff on drones and components originating from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the European Union, alongside a 10% tariff on imports coming from the United Kingdom.
According to the official proclamation, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick conducted a formal inquiry into the market impact of foreign unmanned aircraft systems.
"The Secretary found that import penetration from foreign producers of UAS is substantial and that the United States is too reliant on foreign sources of UAS and UAS components," Trump stated in the text of the declaration.
The findings highlighted that gear sourced from particular foreign vendors introduces "security and safety risks" while domestic manufacturing capacity remains insufficient to satisfy national defense requirements.
Regarding implementation, the White House outlined a phased schedule for the measures. Standard drone duties will take effect 21 days following the signing of the proclamation. Meanwhile, tariffs covering non-sensitive drone components will go into force after 180 days. Additionally, products cleared by the Department of Defense for exemption from the Federal Communications Commission's "Covered List" within 20 days of the signing will also see their tariffs deferred for 180 days.