DJI says US Customs is obstructing drone imports

DJI says Edge that it presently can not freely import all of its drones into america—and that its newest shopper drone, Air 3Cbecause of this, it is not going to be bought at retail at the moment.

This No as a result of america out of the blue banned DJI drones—slightly, DJI believes the import restrictions are “a part of a broader initiative by the Division of Homeland Safety to scrutinize the origins of merchandise, particularly within the case of Chinese language-made drones,” in keeping with a DJI assertion.

DJI not too long ago despatched a letter distributors with one doable cause why DHS is stopping a few of its drones: the corporate says U.S. Customs and Border Safety is citing the Uyghur Compelled Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) as justification for blocking imports. In a letter that floated round web sites for drones And Reddit DJI has been sustaining for a number of days that it doesn’t use compelled labor within the manufacturing of its drones.

Reuters reported in a letter earlier as we speak; DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong confirmed the letter’s legitimacy. Edge Additionally.

IN simply printed official weblog submitDJI calls the entire thing a “misunderstanding” and writes that it’s now sending documentation to US Customs confirming that it doesn’t make something in China’s Xinjiang area, the place Uyghurs are being forcibly detained, that it complies with US legal guidelines and worldwide requirements, and that US retailers have carried out audit of your provide chain. DJI claims to fabricate all of its merchandise in Shenzhen or Malaysia.

U.S. Customs and Border Safety didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Whereas the US Home of Representatives handed A invoice that may successfully ban DJI drones as soon as imported into the US, this ban should even be handed by the Senate. Final time we checked, the Senate had distant banning DJI from utilizing its model of the necessary Nationwide Protection Authorization Act of 2025 (though it has been reintroduced) as an modification and will doubtlessly nonetheless find yourself within the closing invoice).

DJI says the “customs-related difficulty” has “primarily impacted” the corporate’s enterprise and agricultural drones, however has now additionally “restricted us from providing the Air 3S to US clients exterior of DJI.com.”

“We’re actively working with U.S. Customs and Border Safety to resolve this difficulty and hope for a fast decision,” DJI wrote.

The US authorities has cracked down on DJI drones earlier than, however not in a approach that prevented shops from shopping for them, shoppers from shopping for them, or particular person pilots from flying them in america. To begin with, the US Division of Commerce. “listing of objects” retains US firms from exporting their know-how to a Chinese language firm, and the US generally bans some authorities businesses from buying new DJI drones.

Even when DJI imports have been certainly banned by Congress, the proposed laws means that present homeowners would nonetheless be capable to use their drones, however the FCC would not be capable to enable DJI devices with radios for use in america, successfully blocking all imports.