Beijing has charged Washington with employing national security as a guise to target Chinese drone manufacturers.
According to Beijing, the US prohibition on importing new foreign drones is discriminatory against Chinese firms and ought to be revoked. DJI, a Shenzhen-based UAV maker and the world’s largest, currently accounts for over half of all commercial drones in operation within the US.
This Monday, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned imports of all new foreign-made drone models and key parts, pointing to “unacceptable risks to national security.” Being added to the FCC’s ‘Covered List’ prevents companies from China and elsewhere from gaining approval to market their forthcoming UAV models in the United States.
When questioned about the ban at a briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that Beijing “resolutely opposes the US expanding the notion of national security and creating discriminatory lists to pursue Chinese enterprises.”
Lin urged Washington to “cease its erroneous actions and foster a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies.”
DJI supported the Foreign Ministry’s stance, contending that its placement on the ‘Covered List’ represents a move away from open-market ideals, not a balanced security step.
In a statement, the company maintained that its drones are “among the safest and most secure available,” a claim it says is backed by years of assessments from US authorities and independent third-party reviewers.
“Concerns regarding DJI’s data security lack evidentiary support and instead indicate protectionism,” the statement read.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr expressed that he was “pleased” with the ban on new foreign-made UAVs, stating the action would assist US companies in “unleashing American drone dominance.”
These new restrictions come after a defense bill enacted by the US Congress in December 2024, which mandated that products from DJI and another major Chinese manufacturer, Autel, be placed on a blacklist within one year unless a security assessment found them suitable for continued sales.
The import ban does not apply to previously approved drone models, which may continue to be used and sold freely throughout the US.