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DJI has avoided the blockade for now
The US Senate has passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that could have significant implications for the world's largest drone manufacturer, DJI. While the bill does not impose an immediate ban, as DJI has feared in recent months, it does include provisions that suggest potential restrictions on its operations in the US.
Rather than directly enforcing the provisions of the proposed Countering CCP Drones Act, which would quickly block imports of DJI products, the new law imposes a one-year deadline. If DJI fails to satisfy the relevant national security agency within that time that its products do not pose an unacceptable risk to US national security, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be required to place DJI on its infamous blacklist.
If DJI fails to obtain the necessary approval, the FCC will be required to prevent DJI equipment from operating on US networks and block the use of their internal radios. This will effectively halt all imports of DJI products into the US. While the law will not prohibit the use of existing DJI products by US consumers, it will restrict future sales and imports of all devices with radios or cameras, including popular products like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
While none of this would prevent US citizens from continuing to use their existing DJI products, it would not just mean a ban on importing new DJI drones into the US. Technically, any DJI product with a radio receiver or camera, such as the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, would be banned.
The bill also includes all the countermeasures in case DJI tries to circumvent the law by selling its products under another brand name or wants to license its technology to other companies. The bill specifically instructs the FCC to add to the list “any subsidiary, affiliate or partner, and any entity with which the designated entity has a technology sharing agreement or license agreement.”
The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and it is more or less a given that current US President Joe Biden will sign it. What the Trump administration will do, however, is anyone's guess. Trump is not in favor of Chinese imports, so (like TikTok) DJI will have to request a personal meeting with the president and try to defend its position.
