China pushes back against US drone tariffs, calling them bid to disrupt global supply chains

Chinese state media pushed back against a US decision to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on drone-related components, calling it an attempt to disrupt global supply chains.

China's state-run Global Times, citing experts, said the move used national security as a pretext to turn industrial competition into protectionism and disrupt global supply chains through differential tariffs.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Thursday imposing 100 percent tariffs on drones weighing more than 25 kilograms at maximum takeoff weight and on drones equipped with thermal imaging. Smaller drones will face a 25 percent tariff. Products from the EU, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Taiwan will be capped at 15 percent if they meet certain requirements, while British products will be subject to 10 percent.

Huo Jianguo, former head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times that imposing high tariffs on key products while applying significantly lower rates to some allies showed the United States was not merely seeking to curb imports but was also trying to reshape supply chains.

He added that the differential tariff structure reflected US strategic interests rather than multilateral trade rules, and criticized Washington's trade policy as growing increasingly protectionist.

According to the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, Chinese drone maker DJI supplies more than half of all commercial drones used in the United States.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said large and specialized drones are widely used in agriculture, surveying and emergency response, and that the United States appeared to be trying to secure market share for domestic companies and maintain core capabilities in those sectors.

Zhou also said some of the tariff burden could be passed on to the US market. Chinese suppliers might raise prices or absorb part of the cost by reducing margins, he said, but American buyers could ultimately end up paying more in sectors where comparable alternatives are scarce.