DJI has told it's users that "time is running out" if they want to make their voice heard about the potential ban on DJI products in the USA.
The ban is tucked into the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and comes into force on December 23, after which point DJI will be unable to release new drones or other products into the USA because the company will be automatically be added to the "Covered List."
On the plus side, existing DJI equipment could still be used, and there are some good deals surrounding DJI products around as winter marches on, perhaps because of the uncertainty that this situation is creating.
DJI took the opportunity of their own Viewpoints blog to answer a few questions quite explicitly, including whether DJI is a Chinese Military Company – something which the company was designated by the Department of Defence. DJI's viewpoint says "found no basis for DoD’s claims that DJI is owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, affiliated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or affiliated with a military-civil fusion enterprise zone." but that because DJI's technology has “substantial dual-use applications” the company was still placed on the requested list. DJI has appealed to a higher court.
The company offers the theory that "This situation is largely driven by broader geopolitical tensions surrounding technology and trade, and the fact that DJI is the global market leader in drones and headquartered in China." and, certainly, a lot of Chinese companies have been given a harder time in the USA than others.
We cover more about these issues in my exclusive interview with DJI's Global Head of Policy Adam Welsh, but DJI also get into the potential harm that removing the market leader from the USA could potentially do, not only to the market, but even to individuals. He pointed out to me that where drones couldn't be used, real aircraft with a higher safety risk were used.
Ultimately, though, with the government not having done the fact-based review that was asked for in the FY25 NDAA, DJI is primarily calling for a "reasonable extension" of the deadline to "make a genuine, fact-based review possible".
The company is asking people to visit the Drone Advocacy Alliance and ask friends to do the same.
