US President Donald Trump imposed up to 100% tariffs on drones, targeting Chinese-made models in particular over national security concerns. Chinaâs DJI alone accounts for more than 70% of the global market, and US law enforcement uses its devices to track wildfires and find missing persons. But drones are also increasingly vital for military purposes: Regulators effectively barred the sale of new models in December over national security concerns.
Washington is keen to build domestic manufacturing â it has similarly banned foreign-made mobile robots to combat Chinese dominance â but is far behind. One drone user called the ban âindustry-killing.â Trumpâs family has skin in the game: His sons have financial ties to US drone makers, The New York Times noted.