Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced that it has written a letter regarding the threat that Chinese drones have on American citizens. The letter was sent to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimonodo, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, asking for new restrictions and tariffs to protect American security.
In their quest for heightened tariffs on Chinese drones, U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of the committee, and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), ranking member, are also seeking to prevent United States federal funds from being used to purchase drones from China. They contend that drones manufactured in China, according to a press release from the committee, have the potential to collect sensitive information about the United States, which is then utilized by the People's Republic of China (PRC) military and intelligence services. The bipartisan letter argues that the existing 25% tariff rate on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) imported from the PRC is insufficient to stimulate domestic drone purchases. They assert that China has been exploiting third countries as a means to circumvent the currently imposed tariffs.
According to data cited in the letter, there has been a resurgence in UAVs imported from China in 2022, escalating from 200 imported units in 2019 to over 200,000 in 2022. The data also reveals that drone imports from Malaysia soared to 565,000 in 2023, marking an almost 87% year-on-year increase. The House Select Committee attributes this trend to China's strategy of using Malaysia as a conduit to evade United States tariffs and restrictions. They warn that U.S. law enforcement and government agencies' use of Chinese-produced drones poses a significant risk of data theft by the Chinese military, potentially leading to detailed geographical mapping of sensitive U.S. infrastructure.
Eleven committee members went on to sign the letter, according to the release.
The lawmakers suggest that investing in domestic drone production can help mitigate risks associated with Chinese drones. Restricting purchases of Chinese drones could stimulate growth in this sector, thereby better protecting American consumers and serving U.S. interests more effectively. In their letter, they wrote in the press release: "We call on the Department of Homeland Security...to determine if PRC UAV firms are engaged in transshipment through Malaysia and other third-party countries in an attempt to circumvent U.S. tariffs… In addition to strengthening protective measures against unfair PRC competition, it is critical that the United States develop a commercially viable domestic drone industry. Restrictions on using federal funds, including grant programs to state and local governments, to purchase PRC drones would be one critical step to encourage the growth of the United States’ domestic drone sector."
