New Customs Enforcement Executive Order: Key Changes for Importers

New Section 232 tariffs on drones take effect September 3

President Trump signed a proclamation on August 13, Adjusting Imports of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Components into the United States, placing Section 232 duties on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), better known as drones, plus their parts, docking stations, and chargers. Rates take effect September 3, 2026. What you pay depends on how much the drone weighs, what sensors it carries, and what it's used for. The covered Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes are listed in Annex IV.

What the rates look like

• 25% on small drones, meaning a takeoff weight of 25 kg or less, but only those without thermal imaging.
• 100% on any drone above 25 kg takeoff weight, and on small drones that carry thermal imaging.
• 100% on docking stations and chargers, regardless of the size of the drone they serve.
• 100% on a defined list of drone parts. Many of those parts carry a use restriction, so the HTS code flags the item, but the duty doesn't apply if the part isn't destined for a drone.

A second group of parts, propellers and body components, moves to 25% on February 9.

Who's excluded

Parts headed for drones escape the duty if the drone itself is used for agriculture, retail delivery, or sale to the Department of War. Several of these exclusions expire after six months, though the expiry language in the proclamation carries the same date problem noted above.

Capped rates come with a new certification test

The United Kingdom gets a 10% cap. The European Union, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and South Korea get 15%. Those caps aren't automatic. The proclamation applies them only where importers certify that "substantially all the critical components and technology" originate in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, an EU member nation, or the United Kingdom. The Secretary of Commerce will build the process for deciding which products meet that bar.

"Substantially all critical components" is a brand new standard with no precedent to lean on. If you import finished drones from a capped country but source critical components elsewhere, don't assume you'll land at 10% or 15%.

Will these stack with Section 301?

The proclamation doesn't say. Flexport's customs team is filing on the assumption that the new Section 232 duties won't stack with existing Section 301 tariffs, and we're watching for a Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which typically arrives the day the tariffs go live. We'll update this post when CBP confirms.

What importers should do now

Pull your drone and drone-component HTS codes and check them against Annex IV. Weight and thermal imaging are the two variables that swing a shipment from 25% to 100%, so classification detail matters more than usual here. If you're planning to claim a capped country rate, start assembling component origin documentation now, because the certification process will require it.

We're adding these rates to the Flexport Tariff Simulator and expect them live by Saturday, August 16. Set your entry date to September 3 or later to see the impact.

Questions on how this hits your shipments? Reach out to your Flexport team or get in touch with a Flexport customs expert.