President Donald Trump announced this Thursday the imposition of tariffs of up to 100% on drones and related components that are imported into the U.S. territory, in order to support the national industry, consolidate supply chains, and reduce dependence on other countries.
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The adoption of this measure, which will come into effect on September 3 – although the deadline is extended to 180 days from signing for components not considered “especially sensitive” -, was justified because it seeks to address “the threat to national security” that, according to the White House in a statement, these types of imports embody.
“Drones used for both commercial and military purposes depend on foreign sources to obtain critical components of unmanned aerial systems, which poses significant risks to the national security of the United States and creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities”, the text reads, describing it as “necessary” to “rapidly expand” production in the country.
In this regard, Washington indicated that “through negotiations with foreign trade partners and the strategic use of tariffs,” the Republican leader secured private and foreign investment to “recover American jobs and manufacturing industry, while diversifying global supply chains and reducing dependence on adversary nations.”
The maximum 100% tariff will be applied to drones of a certain size or with certain capabilities that are “especially sensitive” in terms of national security, as well as to docking stations for these aircraft and certain critical components of them.
This category includes those with a maximum takeoff weight over 25 kilos and those with thermal imaging capabilities.
Similarly, a 25% levy was established for smaller unmanned aerial vehicles that lack capabilities that especially affect national security.
For drones and components from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, the tariff will be 15%; while for those from the United Kingdom it will be reduced to 10%, provided that practically all hardware, software, and technology originate from these countries and the U.S.
This announcement could have a serious impact on the Chinese drone market, insofar as, according to Bloomberg, the Asian giant is the world’s leading manufacturer of remotely piloted aerial vehicles and the company DJI Technologies, based in the city of Shenzhen – in southeast China -, accounted for around 70% of the U.S. commercial drone market in 2025.
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