Trump signed drone tariffs that sent stock of Trump Jr.-linked dronemaker Unusual Machines soaring

On August 13, 2026, President Trump signed a Section 232 proclamation imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and drone components, primarily targeting Chinese manufacturers. Per the White House fact sheet, the proclamation sets a 100% tariff on larger, more sensitive drones (over 55 pounds or with thermal-imaging capability) and their docking stations and critical components, a 25% tariff on smaller or less-sensitive drones and other components, and reduced 10-15% tariffs for drones from allied countries including the EU, Japan, and the UK. The next trading day, shares of Unusual Machines Inc. (UMAC), a West Palm Beach, Florida-based drone-parts maker, closed roughly 22-24% higher at a record high -- the largest single-day gain among American drone stocks, ahead of Red Cat Holdings' 8.8% and AeroVironment's 1.8%, according to Bloomberg.

Donald Trump Jr. joined Unusual Machines' newly created advisory board in late November 2024, weeks after his father's election, and publicly praised the company for bringing "drone manufacturing jobs back to the USA." As compensation for the board role, the company granted him 200,000 shares of its stock; a month earlier he had also purchased 66,000 shares and 66,000 warrants in a private placement. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reports that his one-year advisory term appears to have lapsed automatically around November 2025 -- after the company had already secured its first, and largest to date, U.S. Army order -- but he retains the equity stake that continued to appreciate in value when the tariffs were announced.

CREW documents this as one of three companies that added Trump Jr. to a board after the 2024 election and then received a benefit from his father's administration. No independent ethics review or recusal process concerning the president's family's financial ties to the drone industry was reported in connection with the tariff proclamation.

The event is related to, but distinct from, a prior archived entry (federal-procurement-irregularities-ef582cbd, issue #633): an April 30, 2026 U.S. Air Force agreement to buy interceptor drones from Powerus, another startup backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. That entry involved a discrete federal procurement decision; this one involves a trade-policy proclamation whose foreseeable market effect enriched a company where Trump Jr. is a shareholder.