Tariffs and Tech
tariffs took my camera
How THE U.S Tariff Policy Grounded My Drone’s Eyes
When I started building my drone, I figured the hardest part would be the assembly—wiring everything up, calibrating the flight controller, dialing in the motors. I didn’t realize my wallet would be part of the challenge too.
What caught me off guard was how expensive the video system had become. I wasn’t paying for upgrades or better specs—it was tariffs driving up the price. I found a basic 1080p FPV camera and a generic VTX module on AliExpress. Just a year ago, that combo would’ve run me about $25. Now? Closer to $45 with shipping—and that didn’t even include the surprise “tariff processing fee” that appeared at checkout.
I assumed that ordering through AliExpress would help me bypass U.S. markups. Turns out, even international sellers are adjusting prices to account for tariffs and customs delays. After some digging, I realized this wasn’t just inflation—it was trade policy in action.
How Tariffs Trickle Down
Digging deeper, I came across a research paper titled Tariffs, Technology Transfer, and Welfare (University of Chicago, 2019). The authors found that tariffs on Chinese imports were almost entirely passed through to U.S. importers and consumers—meaning companies weren’t absorbing the cost. We were.
Even online marketplaces like AliExpress, which ship directly from China, had to account for changing customs rules, import fees, and supply chain constraints—all tied to U.S. tariff policy.
“We find that the tariffs were almost fully passed through into import prices,” the authors write, and that local U.S. prices rose accordingly, especially for intermediate goods like electronics components.
It Hit Me Locally
I’m just a college student building a drone in my apartment. I didn’t think macroeconomic policy would affect something as small as a $12 camera. But suddenly it did:
Camera + VTX combo doubled in cost
Shipping times stretched 3–4 weeks longer
Customs fees and tariffs added unpredictability
Even when I tried sourcing from U.S. retailers, the price hike was still there—just baked in. It’s wild how deeply global trade policy can affect such niche, individual-level projects.
Cutting the Cord
I had to make a decision. I already spent more than expected on motors and ESCs. The FPV system, while cool, wasn’t critical. So I cut it. No camera. No VTX. No real-time video feed and no cool-looking FPV googles.
Just a stable quadcopter I could fly line-of-sight. It was a frustrating compromise, but a necessary one for my broke college student wallet.
Final Thoughts
Tariffs aren’t just a political buzzword like I had thought. They shape what you build, what you can afford, and what you have to leave behind. If you’re a maker, a student, or just someone who loves building things—watch your parts list closely. I used to think of tariffs as something that hit big businesses or car manufacturers. Now I know: they hit my drone too.
You might have to cross off some parts as well.