Blanket foreign drone ban takes industry by surprise

The Federal Communications Commission took the drone industry by surprise with a Dec. 22 announcement banning the importation of all new “foreign-made” drones.

While restrictions on Chinese-made drones and drone components were widely expected following a national security review deadline on Dec. 23, the sweeping language of the announcement that named all “foreign” drones rather than targeting specific countries raised some eyebrows.

Chinese drone-maker DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Ltd.) had dominated world commercial drone markets including in the United States, before restrictions curbed its U.S. market. DJI’s popular camera-fitted drones were favored by farmers, first responders and other customers for their ease of use and advances that outpaced rivals. Even today, DJI controls about 70% to 80% of the global civilian drone market. Estimates from DroneAnalyst showed DJI with 54% of the U.S. market in 2021,

About a year ago, Congress passed a defense bill that raised national security concerns about Chinese-made drones and called for stopping the import of new drones in the U.S. if a review found they posed a risk to American national security.

An FCC “fact sheet” released Dec. 22 said, “Yesterday, following a thorough review by an Executive Branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise that was convened by the White House, the FCC received a specific determination that UAS and UAS critical component parts that are produced in foreign countries pose ‘unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons’ and should be included on the FCC’s Covered List, unless the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security makes a specific determination to the FCC that a given UAS, class of UAS, or UAS critical component does not pose such risks.”

The FCC cited upcoming major events, such as the 2026 World Cup, America250 celebrations and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as reasons to address potential drone threats posed by “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists.”

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Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC, said: “I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign drones and related components, which pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List. Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with U.S. drone makers to unleash American drone dominance.”

Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said in a statement that the industry group welcomes the decision. He said it’s time for the U.S. not only to reduce its dependence on China, but build its own drones.

A DJI spokesperson said the company is “disappointed” by the FCC’s action, saying that “no information has been released regarding what information was used by the Executive Branch in reaching its determination.”

DJI continues to mount a legal and public relations campaign against its exclusion from U.S. markets. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, Lin Jian, said Dec. 23 that Beijing opposed the U.S. setting up “discriminatory” lists and urged the Trump administration to “correct its wrong practices” and provide a fair environment for Chinese companies, according to Reuters.

Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of the Austin, Texas-based drone-making company Hylio, said it was “crazy” and “unexpected” to include all “foreign” drones in the ban. He told High Plains Journal that foreign supply chains remain a “critical component” of domestic drone manufacturing, supplying cameras, motors, batteries, and other components. The wording of the FCC announcement “is not clear,” he said, and creates confusion about how and where companies will have to apply for exemptions.

The announcement still allows for the importation of some pre-approved DJI models, but they have to be the exact same models named in the exemptions. Current users of DJI drones can continue to use them freely. He said he hopes the FCC will clarify this and other matters.

“Should imported parts from Switzerland, Germany, Australia, or Canada be treated the same as Chinese components?” he asked.

Right now, the supply chain for U.S. drone makers like Hylio is a “collage,” Erickson said, to avoid too much dependence on any one source. “The goal is to seamlessly transition to U.S.-made components.”

David Murray can be reached at [email protected].