The Trump administration’s ban on foreign-made drones begins this week – you can say goodbye to the new DJI models

On Monday, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission banned all new models of foreign-made drones from distribution in the United States, citing “national security concerns.” Americans who already own older models of foreign drones will still be able to use these products, the government said.

In an information sheet Published Monday, the FCC asserted that “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists” could use drones “to present new and serious threats to our homeland.” As a result, the agency said it had updated its List covered – which is a list of products that have been “considered to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security” of the country – to include all “foreign-produced UAS and critical UAS components.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Monday he approved of the policy. “I welcome this executive branch action on national security and am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign drones and associated components, which pose an unacceptable risk to national security, to the list of topics covered by the FCC,” Carr said. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with America’s drone manufacturers to unleash America’s dominance over drones.”

The new rule will obviously impact many different companies, but it is bound to deal a major blow to Chinese drone maker DJI, which is currently considered the dominant player in drone sales globally. Indeed, DJI is considered one of the most popular drone brands for American consumers.

When contacted by TechCrunch for comment, DJI said it disapproves of the decision. “DJI is disappointed by today’s action by the Federal Communications Commission to add foreign-made drones to the covered list. Although DJI was not singled out, no information has been released on what information the executive branch used to reach its decision.”

The company, which said it remains committed to the US market, continued: “As an industry leader, DJI has advocated for an open and competitive market that benefits all US consumers and commercial users, and will continue to do so. DJI products are among the safest and most secure on the market, backed by years of reviews by US government agencies and independent third parties.”

Throughout his multiple presidential administrations, Trump has repeatedly said played hardball with Chinese companies. His administration laid the groundwork for the new drone ban with a decree adopted in June which sought to boost production U.S.-made drones and thereby foster a “strong and secure domestic drone sector,” while protecting “the U.S. drone supply chain from foreign control or exploitation.”