Imported drones will be taxed at rates reaching 100% under an order the US president approved on Thursday.
European producers escaped the harshest tariff bracket. Equipment from the bloc will be charged 15% and British-made models will face a 10% rate. Washington's argument is that the US can no longer afford to depend on foreign factories for a weapon that has reshaped the battlefield and is central to modern warfare.
US President Donald Trump used Section 232 to impose the tariff rate, the national security provision already applied to steel, aluminium, copper, cars and pharmaceuticals.
The 100% rate covers drones weighing more than 25 kilograms at take-off or carrying thermal imaging, plus their docking stations and certain critical components. Smaller, less capable models and other parts face a 25% tariff.
Alongside the EU, the 15% band covers Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Taiwan, with the UK being the only one with the lowest 10% tariff. However, the caveat matters more than the rate.
