Tariffs and compliance

Estimates for planning only, not customs or legal advice. The importer's broker or a CBP ruling decides the actual classification, origin and duty. Data as of 2026-10-29.

How the landed-cost estimate works

Estimate only. landed = unit_price + freight_per_unit + duty + fees. (1) Customs value = the price actually paid to the seller (transaction value). The US duty base generally EXCLUDES international freight and insurance, so duty is charged on the FOB-type value, not CIF. If the quote is DDP or CIF, back those costs out first. (2) Duty = value x (MFN% + each 'extra' program that applies to the part's HTS and country of origin). Use country_rules[origin].forced_labor_301 for the 10-12.5% layer, honoring floors (EU/JP/KR/CH/TW) and exemptions (note 52(b); USMCA). Section 301 China lists apply only to CN origin. Section 232 lines apply only when their stated condition holds; conditional lines show as 'possible', never silently as 0. Origin is where the part was substantially transformed, not where it shipped from. (3) MPF = 0.3464% of entered value, clamped to $34.58-$670.86 for a formal entry (> $2,500); show $2.77 for an automated informal entry. Spread it over the units in the shipment. (4) HMF = 0.125% of value, ocean only. (5) Freight is an assumption shown with its basis (mode, kg, $/kg, date), not a quote. Excluded: broker fees, bond, ISF, insurance, inland delivery, state sales tax, AD/CVD, FCC/compliance testing. Always show the as_of date, the HTS edition and 'estimate' next to the number.

NDAA and drones

What is actually law: (1) FY2020 NDAA sec. 848 (P.L. 116-92) bars DoD from buying or operating UAS made in China (later also Russia, Iran, North Korea), or UAS whose flight controllers, radios, data transmission devices, cameras, gimbals, ground control systems or operating software come from a covered country or entity. This is the usual 'NDAA-compliant' claim. (2) The American Security Drone Act of 2023, FY2024 NDAA secs. 1821-1832 (P.L. 118-31), extends this government-wide: sec. 1823 bars federal procurement, sec. 1824 operation and sec. 1825 the use of federal funds for covered foreign-entity UAS; FAR 52.240-1 implements it. (3) FY2025 NDAA sec. 1709 (P.L. 118-159, NOT sec. 162) required a security determination on DJI and Autel equipment within one year, with automatic FCC Covered List placement as the default; the FCC added them on 2025-12-22. These are procurement and authorization rules. They are not import duties, and they do not stop a private buyer from buying a part. 'NDAA compliant' on a part page is a supplier claim unless it is backed by a declaration.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1790
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5009
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.240-1
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-1086A1.pdf

Blue UAS

The Blue UAS Cleared List covers complete drones vetted for DoD use. The Blue UAS Framework covers vetted components and subsystems (flight controllers, radios, cameras, etc.) that integrators can build with. DIU created both. Management moved to the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) under a 2025-07-10 Secretary of War memo; DIU announced the handoff on 2025-12-03, effective 2026-01-01. DIU stays a technical partner. Green UAS (AUVSI) certified platforms feed the list. Blue listing also exempts a UAS or component from the FCC foreign-UAS Covered List entry: the FCC's 2026 update extended that exemption to 2028-01-01.

https://www.diu.mil/blue-uas-cleared-list
https://www.diu.mil/latest/dius-blue-uas-list-to-transition-to-dcma
https://www.dcma.mil/News/Article/4533954/dcma-accelerates-blue-list-process/
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-875A1.pdf

FCC pre-certified modules

Under FCC KDB 996369, a host product that integrates a PRE-CERTIFIED radio module (one with its own FCC ID and modular grant) can generally rely on the module's grant for the radio. The host then needs Part 15B unintentional-radiator authorization via SDoC rather than full Certification, roughly $3,000-$10,000 and 3-6 weeks against $8,000-$30,000 and 6-12 weeks. This is conditional: it holds only if the integrator follows the grant's conditions (approved antennas, power, band, RF exposure/co-location limits and host requirements), labels 'Contains FCC ID: ...', and the equipment is eligible. Changing the antenna or power, or co-locating transmitters, can require new testing or a permissive change. It is not blanket clearance. Under 47 CFR 2.909 the US importer is generally the responsible party for foreign-made equipment.

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/kdb/index.cfm
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15/subpart-C/section-15.212
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-2/subpart-I

FCC Covered List

Real. On 2025-12-22 the FCC (PSHSB, DA 25-1086) added all foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components to the Covered List, based on an interagency national security determination, along with the FY2025 NDAA sec. 1709 DJI/Autel equipment. Covered List equipment cannot receive NEW FCC equipment authorizations. Per the FCC FAQ, the addition did not by itself end the use or sale of models already authorized. The FCC has separately PROPOSED (DA 26-832), not adopted, limits on importing and marketing some already-authorized covered products. Exemptions: on 2026-01-07 a Department of War determination exempted DCMA Blue UAS-listed items and Buy American 'domestic end products'; a 2026 update (DA 26-875) extended those exemptions to 2028-01-01. DoD/DHS conditional approvals are product-specific. Separately, on 2026-07-28 (DA 26-786) the FCC listed foreign-produced 'advanced robotic devices' (finished devices, with exclusions), not every standalone actuator. A foreign-made drone motor, ESC, flight controller, camera or radio may be a 'UAS critical component'; check the determination's definitions per part. DJI/Autel court challenges were pending as of October 2026.

https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-1086A1.pdf
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-417528A1.pdf
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-875A1.pdf
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-832A1.pdf
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-786A1.pdf

Classifications we use