According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Commerce has stated that, due to concerns over national security, it is considering implementing new regulations to restrict or ban the use of Chinese drones in the United States.
The Department of Commerce noted that drones from China and Russia could potentially allow America's competitors to remotely access and manipulate sensitive U.S. data.
The U.S. Department of Commerce also announced that it would solicit public comments on potential regulations to protect the drone supply chain until March 4, 2025. With the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president on January 20, 2025, this means the new regulations regarding the restriction or ban on Chinese drones will be decided by the Trump administration.
In 2024, the U.S. took a series of tough measures against Chinese drones.
In September 2024, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stated that the Department of Commerce might implement restrictions similar to those that effectively ban Chinese vehicles from entering the U.S., focusing on drones equipped with Chinese and Russian devices, chips, and software. In November 2024, Gina Raimondo further stated that she hoped to finalize regulations targeting Chinese vehicles by January 20, 2025.
In December 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that could potentially prohibit Chinese drone manufacturers DJI and Autel Robotics from selling new drones in the U.S. Government agencies are required to determine within one year whether DJI or Autel drones pose a national security risk to the U.S.
It is reported that most commercial drones sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China. DJI is the largest drone manufacturer globally, with its commercial drones accounting for more than half of the U.S. commercial drone market. The company has stated that if no agency completes the relevant research, it will be prohibited from launching new products in the U.S.
In September 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban new drones manufactured by DJI from operating in the U.S. In October 2024, DJI filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, claiming that its inclusion on the so-called Chinese Military Companies (CMC) sanctions list was erroneous and had caused financial harm to the company.
In October 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, citing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, stopped some DJI drones from entering the U.S. However, DJI stated that none of the manufacturing stages of its drones involved forced labor and that the accusations against the company were unfounded and incorrect.
U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concerns that DJI drones could pose risks related to data transmission, surveillance, and national security, but DJI has denied these allegations. Furthermore, in 2019, the U.S. Congress prohibited the Department of Defense from purchasing or using Chinese-made drones and their components.
