10% duties on all Chinese goods on 2/1

[GadgetGuy]

They don't have the Air 3s, but have most previous models at our local BB.

Yes, I should have been more specific. The recent DJI releases most in demand for upgrades are still stuck in China. However, Adorama still has some limited stock of Air 3S units on their website and on Amazon.

 

[mavic3usa]

Interesting pieces on tariffs and China:

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[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Yes, I should have been more specific. The recent DJI releases most in demand for upgrades are still stuck in China. However, Adorama still has some limited stock of Air 3S units on their website and on Amazon.

I have order twice from DJI, they use DHL which goes thru Custom in Cincinnati. Sat for two week and was returned to China. Called the customs office and was told all are being returned due to Child Labor.

I found Drone Nerds, they have their own warehouse in China and ship through UPS. I ordered my Air 2s on 17 Jan and it arrived this morning. Six days from order to delivery.

If you want to order a new drone, contact Drone Nerds.

 

[mavic3usa]

My current DJI order in progress for drone accessories (ordered on 1/19) is set to arrive (US destination) on 1/24 via UPS.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I have order twice from DJI, they use DHL which goes thru Custom in Cincinnati. Sat for two week and was returned to China. Called the customs office and was told all are being returned due to Child Labor.

I found Drone Nerds, they have their own warehouse in China and ship through UPS. I ordered my Air 2s on 17 Jan and it arrived this morning. Six days from order to delivery.

If you want to order a new drone, contact Drone Nerds.

Unfortunately, DroneNerds still can't get new inventory either. Everything is "Reserve now" instead of in stock "Order now."

 

[Dpixtion]

The politics of the situation aside, anyone think that a 10% price hike on new drones is coming?

Or China can change the import tariffs that we pay, and it would offset, and everybody would be happy. if China doesn’t like paying the 10% then lower what America has to pay to get items into China it’s a match and then both countries would win and you could then lower them back down. Ask yourself if this is all being used as a negotiation tactic kinda like when you give your kids an allowance to clean their room and they don’t do it. You take the allowance away it’s all a negotiation tactic.

 

[mavic3usa]

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[Droning on and on...]

Or China can change the import tariffs that we pay, and it would offset, and everybody would be happy. if China doesn’t like paying the 10% then lower what America has to pay to get items into China it’s a match and then both countries would win and you could then lower them back down. Ask yourself if this is all being used as a negotiation tactic kinda like when you give your kids an allowance to clean their room and they don’t do it. You take the allowance away it’s all a negotiation tactic.

^This.

The analyses of tariffs that's been in the media is stoopidly simplistik (misspelling deliberate) and simply assume they'll be added to whatever prices Chinese are currently charging for their goods.

Well, this has never historically been the result of general tariffs, and there isn't any reason to expect it to be any different this time.

There will be a mix of absorbing this through reduced profit margins, in which case the Chinese company is paying the tariff, and increased prices, hitting the consumer.

My prediction is DJI will choose to absorb 100% of the tariff, and keep prices flat, protecting their market share. The tariff is based on the value of the item, not the retail price, which roughly amounts to the cost to bring to market. So, for example, a $1,000 drone that costs DJI $700 to make will incur a $70 tariff. I'm predicting DJI will choose to take a $230 profit instead of $300 and hold prices while the politics get worked out.

An audacious, defiant DJI might even lower prices during the tariff. Drop that $1000 drone to $970, have a "Tariff Special". That's what I'd do

 

[Mrktn]

^This.

The analyses of tariffs that's been in the media is stoopidly simplistik (misspelling deliberate) and simply assume they'll be added to whatever prices Chinese are currently charging for their goods.

Well, this has never historically been the result of general tariffs, and there isn't any reason to expect it to be any different this time.

There will be a mix of absorbing this through reduced profit margins, in which case the Chinese company is paying the tariff, and increased prices, hitting the consumer.

My prediction is DJI will choose to absorb 100% of the tariff, and keep prices flat, protecting their market share. The tariff is based on the value of the item, not the retail price, which roughly amounts to the cost to bring to market. So, for example, a $1,000 drone that costs DJI $700 to make will incur a $70 tariff. I'm predicting DJI will choose to take a $230 profit instead of $300 and hold prices while the politics get worked out.

An audacious, defiant DJI might even lower prices during the tariff. Drop that $1000 drone to $970, have a "Tariff Special". That's what I'd do

I bet you would and hundreds of others here

 

[mavic3usa]

Just got my package from Temu today.

We are pawns in this game:

USPS temporarily suspends accepting packages from China and Hong Kong

The suspension of international parcels from China and Hong Kong is effective immediately, the USPS said.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[msinger]

We are pawns in this game

Fortunately for us, DJI doesn't ship via USPS.

 

[mavic3usa]

Fortunately for us, DJI doesn't ship via USPS.

They sure as heck don't now. Apparently they don't ship DHL and UPS either so it's probably a matter of time before they reach out to FedEx which is when we know we are in disaster mode.

I realize that but I get a ton of my little drone accessories thru USPS. From batteries to filters to chargers to microSD cards, etc. Nothing usually impacts us directly in the near short term for for sure this will combine to impact every American in ways we will never know. Good don't magically come thru the Chinese warehouse door and just drop into my living room. I realize not everyone can see it coming....but I see it. Many people don't know exactly what this means when it comes to tariffs....soon they will. Hopefully this is truly temporary but it's damaging to say the least.

 

[msinger]

They sure as heck don't now

DJI has never shipped packages from China via USPS, so why would it matter now?

They sure as heck don't now. Apparently they don't ship DHL and UPS either so it's probably a matter of time before they reach out to FedEx which is when we know we are in disaster mode.

DJI has been shipping via DHL and UPS for many years now. In fact, I received a UPS package from them just a few weeks ago. I haven't seen anything stating those shipping services are no longer being used.

 

[GroovyGeek]

DJI has never shipped packages from China via USPS, so why would it matter now?


DJI has been shipping via DHL and UPS for many years now. In fact, I received a UPS package from them just a few weeks ago. I haven't seen anything stating those shipping services are no longer being used.

The previous poster made this clear - many of us buy accessories from AliExpress, Temu, and the like, often at 1/2 the price of the exact same item on Amazon or eBay. That avenue is, for the moment, apparently closed.

 

[Cafguy]

DJI has been shipping via DHL and UPS for many years now.

Most of the little parts I get from china come DHL.. for some reason I don't know about anyone else but my boxes seem to move slow with them!
Hope everybody got their Electronics last year and This whole thing sure killed my excitement for the new Mavic that I could hardly afford without a tariff ............. Oh Well... NOW Maybe I will get that IFlight Cinelifter after all! lol

 

[Bad Santa]

This all seems like a boon for Amazon, now. Have to go through them for the same stuff from Temu or Aliexpress for half the price.
Seems convenient that this could enrich a rich guy.

On a different note, it looks like over half the stuff on Ebay will have to be delisted.

 

[Blue Thunder Pilot]

Tariffs are a tax on imported goods paid by the importer, whoever that maybe given the goods being imported. Through trickle downing, purchasers of those imported goods will likely pay an increase in cost the importer sees.

The One who threatened theses latest tariffs said that in order to continue selling products in the US the manufactures would drop the prices so consumers would see no price increase. That is obviously wrong on so many levels.

China has responded threatening a 15% retaliatory tariff.

China counters with tariffs on US products. It will also investigate Google

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on Tuesday said it is investigating Google on suspicion of violating antitrust laws.

apnews.com

Trumpp has already capitulated on the Canada and Mexico tariffs. Whether he does with CN is anybody's guess. I think he will, but I'm not betting on it.

In related news, the USPS has suspended incoming packages from CN and HK. Coincidence? I think not, but you be your own judge.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/04/business/us-postal-service-suspends-parcels-china-intl-hnk/index.html

I have no idea if the tariff situation affects this, as this would apply to every single package mailed to here from there, and not huge bulk quantities from cargo containers etc. And the CBP can pretty much levy import duties on a sliding scale. Anybody have any idea who the CEO/PMG of the USPS is? And his provenance?

So all those batteries from alibaba? Gone. Well, iff the tariff war holds. It may not happen. It may be just the sabre rattling of a crazy dude. I got a dji now because it might cost me more later. Or I may have jumped the gun.

Drone woes will be the least of our worries.

 

[Blue Thunder Pilot]

Unfortunately, neither one has had any DJI drone stock for some time. However, definitely likely for anything else of Chinese origin.

Another time I'd WAG this is because of typical manufacturing cycles. It would behoove exporters to get as much supply over here as possible before the cost of admission increases. But it wouldn't to to risk putting a metric tonne of product on a slow boat only to have it mid-ocean when tariffs or import restrictions are announced. Of course if it hasn't cleared CBP it doesn't matter how close it is.

 

[DARKSeifer]

Are even new models of DJI or Autel being released in the US?

The drone hobby/market is one of the first victim of “modern” hypocrisy and doublethink. It's ok that absolutely everything is externalized on China factories and other third world countries/colonies, but watch out for Chinese companies that also want to play the game and do their own tech.

There's no hiding anymore that the world is just a big and messy “Monopoly” game between less than 50 self entitled monkeys and everyone else is nothing else but a human resource. Enjoy the S.XXI if you can.

 

[GadgetGuy]

So, for example, a $1,000 drone that costs DJI $700 to make will incur a $70 tariff. I'm predicting DJI will choose to take a $230 profit instead of $300 and hold prices while the politics get worked out.

I strongly suspect that a $1000 DJI drone costs DJI closer to $250 than $700, where it would only be a $25 tariff at 10% of their cost. Even far easier to absorb when their profits are so high. That's why DJI stopped repairing drones, and just provides a repair estimate, and sends you a brand new drone when you pay the very reasonable repair bill! The old one just goes in the trash. Not worth repairing when their mark up is 300%!