Section 232 tariffs on drones and drone components (100% / 25%)
Proclamation 11055 of August 13, 2026 imposes Section 232 duties on unmanned aircraft systems and their components: 100% on UAS over 25 kg, thermal-imaging UAS, docking stations and listed critical components (Annex I) and 25% on UAS of 25 kg or less (Annex II), for goods entered on or after September 3, 2026. A further 25% on Annex III components starts February 9, 2027. Where importers certify that substantially all critical components and technology originate in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein or the EU the rate is capped at 15%, and at 10% for the United Kingdom. Vendors on the Defense Department's Blue UAS list or the FCC's conditional-approval list get a 180-day delay.
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Timeline
- In effectFederal Register
Duties begin
Section 232 drone duties apply to goods entered for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. ET September 3, 2026.
Official sources - AnnouncedExecutive order
Proclamation 11055 signed
The President finds drone imports threaten national security and sets 100% and 25% duties with a September 3, 2026 start, partner caps of 15% (10% for the UK), and a delayed 25% on further components from February 9, 2027.
Official sources
Official sources
Status verified 09/10/2026
Related measures
Section 232 steel tariffs (25%)
National-security tariffs on steel, in place since 2018 and sharply expanded in 2025–26: the rate doubled to 50% in June 2025, country exemptions ended, the duty base now covers the full customs value of derivative articles, and hundreds of downstream products were added. Proclamation 11032 reset the base rate to 25% from June 8, 2026 through December 31, 2027, with a 15% combined floor for listed partners including the EU, UK, Japan and Korea and a 15% transitional rate for certain metal-intensive equipment. Unaffected by the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling.
Current rate: 25% on steel articles and derivatives (reduced from 50% on June 8, 2026, through December 31, 2027); 15% combined floor for the EU, UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala; 10% for derivatives made entirely (at least 85% by weight) from U.S.-smelted steel; USMCA goods dutied on non-U.S. content with a 15% floor
Expires by law:Section 232 aluminum tariffs (25%)
National-security tariffs on aluminum, expanded in lockstep with steel: 50% from June 2025 for all origins, derivative coverage broadened repeatedly, duties assessed on full customs value since April 2026, and — since Proclamation 11032 — a 25% base rate from June 8, 2026 through December 31, 2027 with a 15% combined floor for listed partners and a 15% transitional rate for certain equipment. A July 2026 proclamation lets companies building U.S. primary-aluminum capacity import at half the rate. Unaffected by the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling.
Current rate: 25% on aluminum articles and derivatives (reduced from 50% on June 8, 2026, through December 31, 2027); 15% combined floor for the EU, UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala; 10% for derivatives made entirely (at least 85% by weight) from U.S.-smelted aluminum; half rate for approved onshoring plans
Expires by law:Section 232 copper tariffs (50%)
50% tariffs on semi-finished copper and copper-intensive derivative products, effective August 2025 — the first Section 232 action on copper. The regime was folded into the unified metals framework in 2026: expanded coverage in April, further adjustments and a 15% transitional rate for certain categories in June, running through December 31, 2027.
Current rate: 50% on semi-finished copper and most derivatives; some categories at 25% or the 15% transitional rate
Expires by law: