China says it ‘firmly opposes’ Trump drone tariffs

BEIJING – China said on Aug 20 it “firmly opposes” new US tariffs on imports of unmanned drones and their components, after US President Donald Trump announced duties of up to 100 per cent last week.Trump justified the decision on national security grounds, according to a White House statement from last week, as Washington seeks to reduce reliance on imports in an industry China dominates.Most of the new tariffs are due to take effect on Sept 3.Beijing on Aug 20 urged Washington to “immediately withdraw” the planned tariffs.The US measures “overstretch the concept of national security (and) discriminate against relevant Chinese products”, Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong told reporters in Beijing.“(The tariffs) disrupt the global drone supply chain and further undermine a fair and competitive market environment. China firmly opposes this,” He said.Chinese company DJI, founded in 2006, has captured more than two-thirds of the global drone market in recent years, according to several studies.Since 2022, DJI has been on a US list of Chinese firms linked to the country’s military and subject to restrictions on access to US technology.DJI has fought its inclusion on the list, insisting that it was not owned or controlled by the military. AFP