The deadline for the government-mandated security review to allow China-made drones to continue to sell in the US is less than six months away – and the review has yet to even start. This week, DJI urged lawmakers in the US to allow enough time for a credible assessment, expressing concern that an initiative to complete the review within 30 days would risk “undermining the integrity of the process altogether.”
Without a timely yet credible review, DJI warns that there is a “real risk” that DJI drones won’t be available in the US. “Without a credible process, there is a real risk that new DJI drones would be prevented from entering the U.S. market – not because of any proven risk, but simply due to compressed timelines or politically motivated decisions,” the company wrote. “This would deprive thousands of businesses, public safety agencies, and everyday users of essential technology, disrupting operations, increasing costs, and limiting access to tools that support safety, productivity, and innovation.”
Last December, DJI narrowly missed a drone ban that was eventually axed from proposed legislation. Instead, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act that required China-based drone makers to pass a security review before the end of 2025 in order to continue being sold in the US.
At the time, DJI welcomed the review, citing multiple third-party studies that previously looked into the company’s security protocols, but expressed concern that the legislation failed to identify which government agency would be responsible for carrying out the review, nor did the legislation detail what would happen if the review process didn’t begin in time.
More than six months later, those original concerns have heightened as the deadline approaches. In March, DJI again urged the US government to start the review process to allow time for a rigorous and transparent process. But, earlier this month, a group of lawmakers asked the Director of National Intelligence to complete the review within 30 days.
While DJI has been pressing for the review process to start, the company fears that limiting the entire review process to 30 days wouldn’t allow enough time for a credible assessment. “While we welcome the news of the audit finally getting support, we are deeply concerned that such a short timeline risks undermining the integrity of the process altogether,” DJI wrote. “A credible assessment must allow time for evidence to be reviewed, and it must include meaningful opportunities for engagement, clarification, and responsible dialogue. We urge policymakers to uphold the intent of the law by ensuring that this review is transparent, grounded in evidence, and not rushed.”
DJI also warned that a potential China-made drone ban would have an impact beyond hobbyist pilots having fewer options to choose from. The company says that two out of every three respondents in a recent survey said their business would shut down without access to drones made in China. “That’s not just a statistic – it’s a glaring red flag that removing DJI from the market is a bad idea,” the company wrote. “Banning or restricting DJI isn’t simply a policy choice, it’s a move that could send shockwaves through the economy, disrupt essential services, and strip away tools that thousands of professionals use every day to work smarter, safer, and more efficiently.”
Beyond drone flight as a hobby, UAV technology powers businesses like aerial photography, industrial inspections, and agricultural applications. But drones are also often used by first responders, including search and rescue.
Some law enforcement agencies have spoken up in the wake of the potential ban, noting that some types of drones don’t have a US-made equivalent, and those that do were often at a higher price point.
“If these types of bills pass,” said President and CEO of the Law Enforcement Drone Association Jon Beal, “agencies would be forced to give up sometimes up to 10 drones for the price of one non-banned replacement. This creates a devastating effect on operability for the program. Instead of having 10 drones like they used to, they would instead only have one.”
American drone pilots are already getting a taste of what a potential China-made drone ban could look like. Due to what DJI describes as a misunderstanding at US customs, drones on the brand’s US webstore have all gone out of stock, with limited stock remaining at some retailers. Products made in China are also facing higher tariffs than just a year ago. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro announced in May, still does not have an official US availability date from DJI.
“As the NDAA deadline approaches, we call on the U.S. government to complete the NDAA-mandated audit in a fair, transparent, and evidence-based manner: before lives, jobs, and entire industries across the country are put at risk,” DJI wrote.
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