- US Department of Commerce withdraws proposal to ban all Chinese drone imports
- Separate FCC ban on new foreign-made drones to continue
- Future of DJI in US remains unclear
As previously reported, the so-called "DJI ban" recently implemented in the US is actually a ban on all new foreign-made drones, which is likely to complicate purchasing options and increase costs for consumers in the country.
However, there is a silver lining for US-based drone enthusiasts: the Department of Commerce has opted not to escalate the situation by imposing a blanket ban on all Chinese-made drones.
This proposed ban (distinct from the FCC ban introduced on December 23, 2025) would have prevented the import of previously approved drone models like the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, HoverAir X1, and Antigravity A1 into the US market.
The future remains murky
According to Reuters, this decision may reflect a slight thaw in US-China relations ahead of an upcoming meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in April 2026.
While this means that the situation won't worsen immediately for those looking to buy Chinese-made drones in the US, the future remains uncertain. The FCC's separate ban affects any foreign-made drones that have not yet received FCC approval, which means that future models from DJI, Autel, Antigravity, and Zero Zero Robotics (the owner of HoverAir) are unlikely to be available in the US without government intervention.
The FCC ban does include a provision for specific future models to be approved for sale, but this seems unlikely in the current climate. The uncertainty surrounding regulations, along with tariff issues, may deter companies like DJI from engaging in the US market altogether.
With no US-based drone manufacturers currently providing significant competition to DJI, the outlook for consumers is not particularly bright. However, they will still be able to purchase previously approved Chinese-made models—for now, at least.
