AIBRIEF
Smaller drones without thermal imaging face 25%; tariffs on the sensitive class take effect in 21 days, non sensitive components in 180 days.
The White House has split U.S. drone imports into two trade fates with a proclamation signed Thursday: a 100% ad valorem tariff — a percentage of declared import value — on drones heavier than 25 kilograms or equipped with thermal-imaging capability, plus the docking stations and certain critical components that go with them; and a 25% tariff on smaller drones without those capabilities.
A drone with maximum takeoff weight over 25 kg, or any aircraft with thermal imaging built in, sits in the 100% tier. Smaller commercial and consumer drones sit in the 25% tier.
The split runs on two clocks. Tariffs on the sensitive class take effect 21 days after signing, a near-term shock for heavier commercial fleets and thermal-capable operators. Tariffs on components that are not particularly sensitive take effect 180 days after signing, giving parts buyers a longer runway to rework sourcing.
The proclamation text is the source of record. ABC News reported lower country-specific rates of 15% for the EU, Japan, Liechtenstein, Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, and 10% for the UK, but those figures still await primary-proclamation confirmation before they can be treated as scope.