New US tariffs on imported drones and parts kicked in this week, aimed squarely at China's grip on the market — bad news for buyers of cheap drones, and a mixed blessing for US and allied makers.

• Trump signed the order in August after the Commerce Department ruled that imported drones and parts are a national security risk.
• Drones deemed most sensitive — heavier models and ones with heat-sensing cameras — face a 100% tariff; smaller drones face 25%.
• Almost all of those sensitive drones come from China, and US police and fire crews rely on them to track wildfires and find missing people.
• China's DJI makes over 70% of the world's commercial drones and has been on a US blacklist since 2022; Beijing calls the tariffs unfair and wants them dropped.
• Allied makers get no free pass: drones from the EU, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan face a 15% tariff, and British ones 10%.

Outlook: Drone prices in the US will rise while domestic production catches up, with tariffs on less sensitive parts holding off until early 2027.