Notice  Pilot Briefing · 3 min read · Updated October 2026

Proclamation 11055: Tariffs on Imported Drones and Drone Components

Who this affects

Importers, distributors, and consumers who purchase newly imported UAS or UAS components. Domestic manufacturers that source foreign parts. It does not target individual remote pilots' existing aircraft or their operating privileges.

What the document says

Proclamation 11055, signed August 13, 2026 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, puts import duties on drones and drone parts after the Secretary of Commerce found that reliance on imports threatens national security. From September 3, 2026:

• 100 percent on drones with a maximum take-off weight over 25 kg, drones with built-in thermal imagers, drone docking stations, and certain critical components;
• 25 percent on drones of 25 kg or less.

From February 9, 2027, a 25 percent duty also applies to certain other drone components. Commerce may add more components later.

Lower caps apply to some countries: no more than 15 percent for products of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the European Union, and no more than 10 percent for the United Kingdom, but only if the importer certifies that substantially all the critical components and technology come from the United States or those countries. Companies on the Defense Department's Blue UAS list or the FCC's Conditional Approval list on September 2, 2026 have 180 days before the duties apply to their listed products, and companies that commit to building U.S. production facilities before January 20, 2029 can import for that production without these duties while the facility is built. The duties are in addition to any other duties.

What changes in practice

For a drone you already own, nothing changes: you fly it under the same rules, with the same registration. The duties apply to drones and parts imported on or after the effective dates, so newly imported drones, batteries, motors and docking stations may cost more. Most camera drones flown under Part 107 weigh far less than 25 kg, so they fall in the 25 percent tier unless they have a built-in thermal imager, which puts them at 100 percent. The proclamation taxes imports; it does not ban any model.

What it does not do

It does not amend any FAA regulation. It does not change Part 107 operating rules, registration requirements, Remote ID rules, airspace authorizations, or the UAG exam. It does not create any new pilot certification, waiver, or operational restriction. It does not affect drones already in the United States. It does not establish a ban or prohibition on importing any specific drone model. It is a tariff (a tax on imports), not a safety or airworthiness rule.

Does this affect the Part 107 exam?

No effect on the Part 107 exam. This document contains no operational, airspace, registration, or safety content that appears on the UAG knowledge test. It is a trade and national security instrument. A pilot preparing for the exam does not need to study it.

Reviewed and updated October 2026.

Spotted a mistake, or have a question this page does not answer? Send feedback, no email needed.

More briefings