On Monday, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission banned all new foreign-made drone models from distribution in the U.S., citing “national security concerns.” Americans who already own older foreign drone models will still be able to use those products, the government said.
In a fact sheet published Monday, the FCC claimed that “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists” could use drones “to present new and serious threats to our homeland.” As a result, the agency said that it had updated its Covered List — which is a list of products that have been “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security” of the country — to include all “UAS and UAS critical components produced abroad.”
The FCC’s chairman, Brendan Carr, said Monday that he approved of the policy. “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,” Carr said. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with U.S. drone makers to unleash American drone dominance.”
The new rule will obviously impact many different companies, but it is destined to strike a blow against Chinese drone maker DJI, which is currently considered the dominant player in drone sales globally. Indeed, DJI is considered to be one of the most popular drone brands for American consumers.
When reached for comment by TechCrunch, DJI said it disapproved of the decision. “DJI is disappointed by the Federal Communications Commission’s action today to add foreign‑made drones to the Covered List. While DJI was not singled out, no information has been released regarding what information was used by the Executive Branch in reaching its determination.”
The company, which said that it remained committed to the U.S. market, continued: “As the industry leader, DJI has advocated for an open, competitive market that benefits all US consumers and commercial users, and will continue to do so. DJI products are among the safest and most secure on the market, supported by years of reviews conducted by U.S. government agencies and independent third parties.”
Throughout his multiple presidential administrations, Trump has repeatedly played hardball with Chinese companies. His administration laid the groundwork for the new drone ban with an executive order passed in June that sought to boost the production of U.S.-made drones and thus foster a “strong and secure domestic drone sector,” while also securing “the United States drone supply chain against foreign control or exploitation.”