Trump Puts a 100% Tariff on Large Imported Drones, Thermal-Imaging Drones and Docking Stations

In a proclamation signed August 13, 2026 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, Trump imposed a 100 percent ad valorem duty on imported unmanned aircraft systems with a maximum take-off weight above 25 kilograms, on drones integrating thermal imagers, on docking stations and on certain critical components. A 25 percent duty applies to smaller drones. Both take effect September 3. A further 25 percent duty on additional components begins February 9, 2027. Products of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and EU members are capped at 15 percent, and the United Kingdom at 10 percent, if importers certify critical components as allied-origin.

The proclamation also hands the Commerce Secretary standing authority to add components to the tariff on a rolling basis and to grant duty-free treatment to individual companies, concentrating a great deal of discretionary economic power in one office.

Commerce is directed to run an onshoring program giving tariff relief to firms that commit to building or expanding U.S. drone plants with construction beginning before January 20, 2029, subject to audits and to retroactive clawback if a company is found to have misled the government. Companies already on the Pentagon's Blue UAS lists get a 180-day delay.