The Commerce Department has opened a trade investigation into the imports of drones and their parts laying the groundwork for more tariffs targeting sectors deemed critical to national security.

 

The Trump administration in its notice announcing the drone probe said the investigation covers “unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their parts and components,” that are used to make the final product. That includes the “economic impact of artificially suppressed prices” caused by unfair trade practices and state-backed overproduction as well as the risk that foreign entities could “weaponize their control over supplies” of drones and their components.

 

New tariffs on the drone industry could raise prices for companies like DJI and Autel Robotics, which are based in China but are leading sellers in the global drone market, as well as for American farms and energy firms that rely on drones for tasks like inspections and monitoring. U.S. drone manufacturers like Skydio may benefit competitively, though some still depend on imported parts.

 

Commerce is asking for industry feedback into whether current demand for the products can be met domestically. Public comments can be filed at any time up until a date that will be set 21 days after the administration opens the comment period.