Trump’s new drone tariffs leave Ukraine’s billion-dollar export plans in limbo
President Trump signed a proclamation imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones, with heavier and thermal-equipped models hit hardest, while smaller drones face a 25% levy.
Ukraine was notably excluded from allied exemptions, leaving Kiev without preferential rates even as Washington previously touted a potential $10-$30 billion Ukrainian drone purchase deal.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s review concluded the U.S. is too reliant on foreign drone sources and that certain foreign entities pose security risks, prompting the trade action.
Ukraine’s export ambitions are clouded by corruption scandals and missing weapons reports, which have long failed to deter Western funding but may now be checked by Trump’s tariff policy.
The tariffs create an ironic contradiction: the same administration that praised a Ukrainian drone deal just wrote trade rules that could tax it into unworkability, with no carve-out for Kiev.
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