President Trump signed a proclamation Thursday slapping tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and their components, citing national security risks from America's heavy reliance on foreign-made unmanned aircraft — a policy that sent shares of at least one politically connected drone maker soaring.

The tariff structure is steep and tiered. Drones weighing more than 25 kilograms at maximum takeoff weight, those equipped with thermal imaging, their docking stations and select "critical" components all face a 100% tariff, according to a White House fact sheet. Smaller, less security-sensitive drones and other components face a 25% tariff. The tariffs take effect 21 days after signing for the most sensitive items, and 180 days out for lower-risk components.

Some allies get a break: drones from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan face a reduced 15% tariff, while qualifying drones from the United Kingdom face just 10%, per Bloomberg, which framed the move as deepening the supply-chain rift between Washington and Beijing. The policy is widely seen as targeting China's dominance of the global drone market, led by manufacturers like DJI.

A Familiar Name Cashes In

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the administration determined domestic manufacturers "do not currently have the capacity" to meet the country's security needs in the unmanned aircraft space, and the proclamation gives him authority to offer tariff relief tied to new investment in U.S. drone manufacturing — an incentive designed to jumpstart an American supply chain, according to The Hill.

SHARES OF A DRONE MAKER LINKED TO DONALD TRUMP JR. SOARED ON THE NEWS.

The tariffs' market impact was immediate — and pointed. Forbes reported that shares of a domestic drone manufacturer with ties to Donald Trump Jr. jumped on the announcement, feeding immediate scrutiny over whether the tariff structure was designed with specific American companies' competitive position in mind.

What's Next

Drone importers and hobbyist retailers are bracing for price increases once the tariffs phase in, while domestic manufacturers are expected to lobby for the investment-linked relief program Lutnick's proclamation authorizes. Trade watchers say the policy is likely to draw legal challenges similar to those facing other Trump-era tariff actions, given the sweeping use of national-security authority to reshape an entire product category's supply chain.