The Countering CCP Drones Act, a measure that aimed to ban the import of DJI and other China-made drones, was not among the measures inside the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that the US Senate passed on Thursday, December 19. The absence of the act that would automatically ban DJI drones from import is likely a sigh of relief for many US drone pilots; however, the China-based drone company didn’t escape completely unscathed from the latest legislative session.
While the NDAA did not include the Countering CCP Drones act that some pilots feared, the legislation effectively gives DJI – as well as Autel – one year to pass a risk study before its import would be automatically banned in the US. The act requires China-manufactured drone companies to pass a risk assessment within one year. The NDAA has now passed through both sides of Congress and now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk, who is expected to sign the bipartisan act into law.
