The United States government is enacting a series of measures to limit the presence of foreign-made drones and advanced robotic devices in its market. On September 3, the White House will implement additional tariffs of up to 100% on certain imported drones and components, following an August 13 proclamation by President Donald Trump. These tariffs stem from a Section 232 investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, which began in July 2025 and examined national security implications of reliance on foreign drone supply chains.
Under the new tariff structure, drones weighing more than 25 kilograms, drones equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, docking stations, and specific critical components will face a 100% duty. Smaller drones, with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 25 kilograms and lacking thermal cameras, will incur a 25% tariff. Additional components, including propellers, rotors, and landing gear, will also be subject to a 25% tariff starting February 9, 2027. Preferential rates, capped at 15%, apply to products from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, provided nearly all critical components originate from these regions or the U.S. Companies with products on the Blue UAS Cleared List or a government-approved plan to localize production in the U.S. may receive temporary exemptions from these new duties.
Concurrently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has expanded its "Covered List" to include foreign-produced advanced robotic devices, effectively limiting their import and sale in the U.S. without a national security review. This action, reported by TechCrunch on July 29, broadly applies to mobile robots weighing over 2 kilograms that incorporate onboard sensing, communications, and some level of autonomy. Drones, connected vehicles, and medical devices are excluded from this specific FCC action as they are addressed under separate regulatory frameworks. The FCC's Covered List, initially established in 2021 for telecommunications and surveillance equipment, has progressively broadened to include foreign-made drones and, most recently, advanced robotic devices.
These measures build upon earlier legislative efforts, such as the American Security Drone Act (ASDA) of 2023, enacted as part of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The ASDA immediately prohibited federal agencies from purchasing drones from "covered foreign entities" and, beginning December 22, 2025, will ban their operation and the use of federal funds by contractors or grantees for such systems. The FY2020 NDAA Section 848 initially barred the Department of Defense from procuring or operating drones made in, or containing critical components from, the People's Republic of China.
The U.S. government's rationale for these restrictions centers on national security and cybersecurity concerns, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign technology and build domestic manufacturing capacity. However, China maintains a significant lead in drone and robotics manufacturing. Chinese companies produce over 90% of commercial drones globally and hold near-monopolies on component production and deep supply chains. Counterpoint Research reported that in the first half of 2026, five Chinese manufacturers, AGIBOT, Unitree, Galbot, UBTECH, and Leju Robotics, accounted for 86% of global humanoid robot shipments, which totaled over 22,000 units.
Despite U.S. initiatives, including multi-billion dollar efforts by the White House and Pentagon to foster a domestic drone manufacturing industry, American drone makers still heavily depend on Chinese components for scaled production. This reliance creates a challenge for the U.S. in establishing independent and secure alternatives, particularly due to the lower cost of Chinese parts. China has also responded to these developments; its Ministry of Commerce imposed stricter case-by-case reviews on August 5 for covered drones, components, and related technologies exported to the United States. This has contributed to a decline in Chinese drone exports to the U.S., which fell to approximately $50 million in the first half of 2026, about half the level of the previous year. However, China still exported nearly $300 million in drone and aircraft parts to the U.S. during the same period.
The imposition of these barriers by the U.S. may not fully decouple the American and Chinese robotics industries but could lead to increased fragmentation in global markets. While the U.S. seeks to secure its supply chains and promote domestic production, China's established manufacturing scale and cost advantages may enable its companies to expand into other international markets.