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Huizhao Huang

Mia Nurmamat

Beijing has urged Washington to scrap planned tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imported drones, warning the measures unfairly target Chinese products and threaten global supply chains.
The tariffs are not set to take effect until September 3, but Chinese drone shipments to the United States are already under pressure, with exports of some models plunging in July, the latest customs data showed.
On Thursday, He Yadong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said Beijing firmly opposed Washington’s decision to invoke national security powers – specifically Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act – to levy duties on drones and components, accusing it of applying uneven tariff rates on trading partners.
Warning that the measures would “seriously harm the interests of Chinese companies” and “disrupt cooperation in the global drone supply chain”, He told a regular press briefing that Washington should withdraw the tariffs immediately.
Chinese drones exported to the US were mainly used for civilian purposes, including agriculture, equipment inspections and the film and entertainment industries, He added.
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on August 13 imposing a 100 per cent tariff on drones weighing more than 25kg (55.1lbs), as well as those equipped with thermal-imaging technology and models containing certain critical components.


By comparison, smaller drones face a 25 per cent duty, whereas qualifying imports from the European Union and Japan face a 15 per cent duty and those from Britain a 10 per cent rate.
Drones were already a source of friction in US-China trade. Chinese companies control an estimated 80 to 90 per cent of the global market, according to a May analysis by the Washington-based Centre for European Policy Analysis.
Despite that dominance, Chinese customs data showed US-bound shipments of drones weighing between 250 grams and 7kg (15.4lbs) fell 82 per cent by volume in July from a year earlier – even as exports of propellers, rotors and related parts surged nearly sevenfold.
The weakness was also evident in the first seven months of 2026, with shipments of smaller camera drones to the US across different weight categories falling 50 to 70 per cent by volume from a year earlier.
Models weighing between 7kg (15.4lbs) and 25kg (55.1lbs) represented the steepest decline, with exports plunging 99.1 per cent.
Restrictions have mounted on both sides. On August 5, Beijing tightened export controls on the drone supply chain, subjecting shipments of “drones, their key components and related technologies” to the US to “strict case-by-case scrutiny”.
At Thursday’s briefing, He also pushed back against a White House report released last week.
The American briefing alleged that Chinese exporters orchestrated what it called the “Great Transshipment Scam”, diverting goods through more than 40 countries to disguise their country of origin.
The report “disregarded facts” and falsely portrayed normal international trade and investment as a “scam”, He said.
Instead, he maintained that Washington’s high and uneven tariffs were the main threat to global supply-chain security.


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Beijing also hit back at US allegations that Chinese exporters are evading duties, while drone shipments are already under serious pressure


Beijing also hit back at US allegations that Chinese exporters are evading duties, while drone shipments are already under serious pressure.


China urges US to drop sweeping drone tariffs, warns of global supply chain fallout

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing also hit back at US allegations that Chinese exporters are evading duties, while drone shipments are already under serious pressure

Beijing also hit back at US allegations that Chinese exporters are evading duties, while drone shipments are already under serious pressure