The Department of Commerce has opened national security investigations into imports of drones and polysilicon, a raw material used in chips and solar panels. Among other things, officials are looking into “predatory trade practices” and the capacity of other countries to “weaponize their control over supplies” of drones, drone parts and polysilicon, as well as derivatives of each.
The DoC commenced the investigations on July 1, but has only just disclosed them publicly. The probes could lead to the US imposing yet more tariffs on imports, which would drive up prices of drones and products that use polysilicon. Per notices that are being published in the Federal Register, officials will consider “whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary to protect national security.”
President Donald Trump has used the same legal process as these investigations to apply tariffs to imports of steel and aluminium (50 percent), cars and car parts (25 percent) and copper (50 percent as of August 1). There are other investigations underway into the likes of semiconductors, consumer electronics, aerospace components and pharmaceuticals. They’re being conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
According to The Financial Times, China is the leading market for polysilicon manufacturing. Around three quarters of all commercial drones are said to be manufactured in the country too. Under the Biden administration, the US increased tariffs on solar wafers and polysilicon imports from China to 50 percent at the start of 2025. DJI also faces a potential ban in the US.
