In addition, the F.C.C. is weighing stiff restrictions on common drone technology such as thermal imaging and aerosol spraying.
The Trump administration imposed tariffs of up to 100 percent on drones on Thursday, continuing its long-running campaign to thwart the Chinese drone industry and promote domestic manufacturing.
A 100 percent tariff applies to drones that weigh more than 55 pounds or use thermal imaging. Those drones, the vast majority of which are made in China, have become essential for many law enforcement officials, as they’re used to track wildfires and find lost people. Smaller drones have a tariff of 25 percent.
President Trump, whose two eldest sons have ties to the U.S. drone industry, announced the levies last month after a Commerce Department investigation deemed reliance on foreign drones and components a national security threat.
The Trump administration argued that the United States must be weaned off its reliance on China for drone technology. It is estimated that a single Chinese company — Shenzhen-based DJI — manufactures more than 70 percent of the world’s commercial drones.
But critics say that the domestic drone industry cannot fill the gap and that the administration’s abrupt policy changes will do more harm than good.
Scott Mlakar, chief of the Lake County Drone Unit, which is made up of police officers and firefighters outside Cleveland, said the new tariff was financially onerous and would put thermal drones out of reach for communities that needed them the most.
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