US opens national security probes into imported drones, polysilicon
The 'Section 232' investigations, which were opened on July 1 but not publicly disclosed previously, could be used as a basis for even higher tariffs on imported drones and polysilicon and its derivatives.
The Trump administration has already opened numerous national security investigations, including into the import of commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts, medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks and related parts, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
China accounts for the vast majority of US commercial drone sales. Washington has increasingly cracked down on Chinese drones over the last few years. DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, sells more than half of all US commercial drones.
In December, then-President Joe Biden signed legislation that could eventually ban DJI and Autel from selling new drone models in the United States.
In January, the Commerce Department under Biden said it was considering rules to restrict or ban Chinese drones in the US, citing national security concerns.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month aimed at boosting the US drone industry.
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International said it supported the drone probe that will review supply chain concentration, domestic production capacity, and the role of foreign subsidies and pricing practices.
'The dependence on adversary-manufactured systems that are dumped in the US below market value due to foreign government subsidies has also stifled the growth of a secure American drone industrial base, undercutting innovation, and forcing US manufacturers to compete on an uneven playing field,' said AUVSI CEO Michael Robbins.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Russian drones, missiles hit Ukrainian cities: Officials
Russian drones and missiles attacked widely separated areas of Ukraine, officials said early Wednesday, with at least two people reported killed. National emergency services reported two deaths in drone strikes east of the northeastern city of Kharkiv near the town of Kupiansk, an area that has been under Russian attack for several months. In Kharkiv itself, also a frequent target of Russian attacks, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said at least 17 explosions were recorded in a 20-minute drone attack in which three people were injured. The head of the military administration in the southeastern town of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksander Vilkul, said Russian forces had deployed missiles and drones in an extended attack that knocked out power and water supplies. The regional governor said there had been an unspecified number of injuries. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defense units had gone into action for a time in the capital, but there were no reports of casualties or damage. Russian forces have stepped up air attacks on Ukrainian cities, with record numbers of drones being fired last week. Ukraine's military has also attacked Russian targets, often linked to the energy system. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes during the war that Russia launched against Ukraine more than three years ago. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says any ‘credible' Epstein files should be released
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Justice Department should release all 'credible' information from its probe into notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein as he sought to douse a firestorm of criticism from his supporters over his handling of the case. Trump is facing the most serious split of his political career from his famously loyal right-wing base over suspicions that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures they say are implicated. 'The attorney general has handled that very well,' the Republican leader said of Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, when he was asked about the case at the White House. Trump repeated his claim that the Epstein files were 'made up' by his Democratic predecessors in the White House — even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would 'probably' release them. 'She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her,' Trump said. 'Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.' Trump's latest comments mark a softening of his stance — he had voiced frustration in the Oval Office and online about his supporters' fixation on Epstein and pleaded with them to move on. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,' Trump told reporters Tuesday night, adding: 'It's pretty boring stuff.' The president's 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement has long held as an article of faith that 'Deep State' elites are protecting Epstein's most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood. Trump has faced growing outrage since his administration effectively shut down Epstein-related conspiracy theories, which have become MAGA obsessions. The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. It marked the first time Trump's officials had publicly refuted the stories — pushed for years by numerous far-right figures, notably including the FBI's top two officials, before Trump hired them. Beyond angering supporters, the issue has opened a schism within his administration, sparking a fiery blow-up between Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who is said to be considering resigning. Trump's attempts to take the sting out of the controversy have largely failed, with far-right influencers continuing to criticize him online. Even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has called for 'more transparency' from the administration. Trump's most powerful ally in the US Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushed Tuesday for the administration to release more information about the case, and his stance has been echoed by multiple Republicans. 'We should put everything out there and let the people decide,' he told MAGA influencer Benny Johnson's internet show, calling on Bondi to 'come forward and explain' apparent discrepancies in her statements about the case. Bondi told Fox News in February a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before backtracking and saying that no such list existed. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking. Trump — who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls — said ahead of his election he would have 'no problem' releasing files related to the case. Asked whether Bondi had told him if his name appeared in a file related to Epstein, Trump said 'no,' adding that Bondi has 'given us just a very quick briefing.'
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump to Put Tariffs of Over 10% on Smaller Nations, Including Those in Africa and the Caribbean
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to place tariffs of over 10 percent on smaller countries including nations in Africa and the Caribbean. 'Well probably set one tariff for all of them,' Trump said, adding that it could be a little over 10 percent tariff on goods from at least 100 nations. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick interjected that the nations with goods being taxed at these rates would be in Africa and the Caribbean, places that generally do relatively modest levels of trade with the US and would be relatively insignificant for addressing Trump's goals of reducing trade imbalances with the rest of the world. The president had this month been posting letters to roughly two dozen countries and the European Union that simply levied a tariff rate to be charged starting August 1. Those countries generally faced tax rates on the goods close to the April 2 rates announced by the US president, whose rollout of historically high import taxes for the US caused financial markets to panic and led to Trump setting a 90-day negotiating period that expired July 9. Trump also said he would probably announce tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs at the end of the month. The president said he would start out at a lower tariff rate and give companies a year to build domestic factories before they faced higher import tax rates. Trump said computer chips would face a similar style of tariffs.
