White House fact sheet says President Donald Trump signed drone tariffs aimed at national security; New York Post reports 100% rate for certain capabilities

President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed tariffs on certain drones and their parts and components, according to a White House fact sheet published Aug. 13, 2026. The White House said the action is intended to address national-security risks tied to drone imports and strengthen U.S. drone supply chains.

The White House fact sheet said the tariff program is directed at “drones and their parts and components” and was issued under the administration’s national-security rationale, without detailing all of the specific technical thresholds in the statement itself. The fact sheet framed the move as protecting national security and supporting domestic industrial capacity.

The New York Post reported that the tariff rate is 100% for drones “of a certain size or with certain capabilities that are particularly sensitive for national security purposes,” including drones with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 55 pounds and drones with thermal imaging capabilities. That report also characterized the coverage as targeting drones based on both size and sensing capabilities.

The White House action described in the Aug. 13 fact sheet follows the administration’s broader pattern of national-security-focused tariff measures on strategic goods. In earlier filings and fact sheets issued by the administration in August, officials also described tariffs as part of efforts to bolster supply chains deemed tied to national security.

While the White House fact sheet confirms the administration signed a proclamation to impose drone-related tariffs, the record provided here does not include the proclamation text or the Federal Register notice describing the final scope and exact tariff schedule. That means the detailed specifications reported by the New York Post cannot be independently confirmed from the supplied official text alone.

Implementation timelines, customs enforcement mechanics, and the full list of covered drone categories and parts would typically appear in the proclamation and corresponding Federal Register publication. Without that document text in the provided materials, affected importers would be expected to rely on the official classification and effective-date language once published for compliance planning.