Commerce eased off a U.S. import ban on Chinese drones, DJI, but FCC certification blocks remain. What it means for new models, parts, and current owners.
© A. Krivonosov
The U.S. Department of Commerce has backed away from plans to impose an import ban on Chinese drones, including models from DJI. According to Reuters, the move comes amid a thaw in relations between Washington and Beijing and ahead of an April meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. For DJI, it is a breather rather than a turning point.
Earlier, the department had urged the White House to restrict imports of Chinese unmanned aircraft, submitting that proposal back in October. The initiative has now been withdrawn, yet a bigger obstacle remains in place: a ban issued by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. It does not target imports as such but blocks equipment certification, without which new drones cannot be officially sold on the U.S. market.
The picture is further complicated by pressure from other federal bodies. The U.S. Department of Defense still classifies DJI as a Chinese military company, and a court in the District of Columbia formally upheld that designation, even as it noted there was no evidence of control by China’s Communist Party. Congress also moved to bar the brand outright in 2024, but the company secured a one-year reprieve to demonstrate it poses no national security risk.
Current restrictions do not touch drones already in customers’ hands, so existing owners have no cause for concern. Even so, DJI remains unable to introduce new models to the U.S. market or even supply spare parts, a constraint that could eventually weigh on service and repairs. Against this backdrop, the company has already begun to diversify, investing in adjacent areas beyond the drone business.