FCC Bans Imports of All New Foreign-Made Drones, Including DJI and Autel
The FCC is banning imports of foreign-made drones and drone parts that have not yet been approved by the agency, it said in a news release Dec. 22.
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The agency said it added all foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems and “critical component parts” of unmanned aircraft systems to its “covered list” of goods prohibited for import or sale because they pose unacceptable risks to national security. That includes drones made by DJI, as well as any other UAS or UAS component “produced abroad.”
The determination doesn’t prohibit the importation of UAS models already approved through the FCC’s equipment authorization process, nor does it affect consumers’ ability to continue using previously purchased drones, the release said.
“By operation of the FCC’s Covered List rules, the restrictions imposed by today’s decision apply to new device models,” the FCC said.
The addition also includes goods and services listed in Section 1709 of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the FCC said in a public notice. That includes communications or video surveillance equipment produced by DJI (Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Company Limited) or Autel Robotics, or any of their subsidiaries or companies with joint ventures or technology sharing or licensing agreements with DJI or Autel.
“UAS and UAS critical components must be produced in the United States,” the public notice said. “This will reduce the risk of direct UAS attacks and disruptions, unauthorized surveillance, sensitive data exfiltration, and other UAS threats to the homeland. Furthermore, it will ensure our domestic UAS and UAS critical component manufacturing is resilient and independent, a critical national security imperative.”