The Trump administration imposed a 100 percent tariff Thursday on imported drones using thermal imaging or weighing over 55 pounds, plus a 25 percent tariff on smaller drones. Allies face 10-15 percent levies. President Donald Trump said the move strengthens national security by reducing reliance on Chinese drones, but critics warn it will devastate US businesses and public safety. Shenzhen-based DJI manufactures over 70 percent of the world's commercial drones. Thermal drones are essential for finding missing people, tracking wildfires, and police operations. Cleveland-area chief Scott Mlakar said tariffs will "put thermal drones out of reach for communities that needed them the most."

The FCC may further restrict drones by reclassifying common technologies as "military grade." Industry experts call this an "industry-killing ban." Aerial photographer Vic Moss and city drone coordinator David Hood warned against categorizing LiDAR-equipped drones as military-grade. Hood wrote that LiDAR "is a safety and navigation technology, not a military capability" and prohibiting it "would undermine the very safety the proposal seeks to protect." Dale Hylton of Blue Skies Drones urged the FCC to evaluate technologies based on actual risk.