FCC Bans All Foreign Drones: Here’s What They Aren’t Telling You

The day we’ve all been dreading is finally here, but it came with a pretty big unexpected surprise that I don’t think anybody was expecting.

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, recently announced that the FCC has added foreign-produced drones and drone components to the covered entity list. We all knew it was coming, but I don’t think anyone expected the magnitude of what actually came.

We already knew that it would only affect newly released products. But there’s one thing that the press release said that pretty much shocked the drone world: all foreign-made drones and components.

Your Current Drones Are Fine

Before I break down what this actually means, I first want to drive home one point. As I browse all social media platforms and read through the discussions that people are having, it’s very clear that there is still a tremendous amount of confusion about this move by the FCC.

I don’t want anyone to think that their drones are going to stop working all of a sudden or that they won’t be able to go buy that drone that they really want.

Being added to the FCC entity list means that any future products released will not be allowed to be imported into the United States. The restrictions do not apply to any products that you may currently own. The drones that you have right now will work as they always have.

Also, you can still buy foreign-made drones that have already been approved. After today and well into the future, you’re still going to be able to purchase and use any foreign-made drones that are currently on the market, including ones made by DJI and Autel.

The Customs Problem Is Separate

That being said, you may have to do a little more work to find them for a while. In combination with this FCC entity designation, Customs and Border Protection are preventing many DJI products from being imported for a completely unrelated reason. Different department, different reason, a fake reason, but a reason nonetheless.

If that issue ever gets resolved, and who knows if it ever will, you will once again be able to buy a drone directly from DJI and have it imported into the US and shipped directly to your door. Amazon and B&H and other companies will have full stock once again.

But until that time, there are lots of options on eBay and Amazon from third parties. You can buy just about any drone that you want right now if you look in the right places. Many of the eBay sellers actually don’t have tariff fees, so right now it’s the best place to find a DJI drone.

The Bombshell Nobody Was Expecting

Now let’s talk about this bombshell that nobody was expecting: all foreign-made drones and components.

At first glance, that sounds pretty outrageous, right? Every single drone and every single component. That pretty much shuts down everything everywhere. Even American-made drones use foreign-made components. It sounds like our own government just dropped a nuke on every single person and every single entity that uses drones here in the United States.

But here’s the one line that foreshadows the future. And there is a very obvious reason that they did it this way.

In the third paragraph of the FCC document, there’s a line that says: “Unless the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security makes a specific determination to the FCC that a given UAS, class of UAS, or UAS critical component does not pose such risks.”

What does that exactly mean? It means that the FCC just told Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth that they get to decide which drones and which drone components are allowed into our country. Our departments of war and homeland security have complete autonomy to restrict or allow whatever they want without the need to audit, no oversight, no proof needed. Power with zero accountability.

What I Believe Will Happen

Here’s what I believe will happen. Guess which two companies are going to be at the top of that ban list? DJI and Autel.

Then they’re going to go down the list and check off all of the other manufacturers that aren’t a threat to domestic drone aspirations, and those are going to be allowed into this country.

Why did they do this? Shell companies.

Earlier this year, I made a video stating that I thought there was no way that our government could stop every single DJI shell company from entering the country because it would be like playing whack-a-mole. There’s just too much red tape.

Obviously, I was very wrong. They got rid of all of that red tape.

This is now structured in a way that will allow our two largest national security departments to put an immediate stop to any companies that are suspected of having ties to DJI or Autel. I think we can basically say goodbye to DJI shell companies.

The bottom line: not every single foreign-made drone nor will all foreign-made components be restricted from entering the United States. Just like it’s always been planned, it will be DJI and Autel, and now any shell companies of those Chinese manufacturer brands.

The Hard Truth About American Drones

Please do not be mistaken. I truly do want to see American drones dominate the skies. I want us to have the best in the world, not only for security reasons but also for jobs and manufacturing and everything that goes along with it.

The problem is we have so far to go. We are years behind even the least capable drones that DJI offers. And as we do catch up, the cost is going to be quite prohibitive for most people and most entities.

Most of the time procurement will need to be done through financial assistance, incentives, and grants. Hobbyists? Forget it. No company in the US is considering hobbyists right now. There’s no money in it.

Any current and upcoming domestic drone companies are focused on one thing: getting that federal money and getting those federal contracts, growing themselves through taxpayer dollars. Once they get established, only then will the consumer market be considered.

How long will this take? Who knows? But it won’t be anytime soon. And while we’re trying to catch up, the rest of the world will be moving forward with the best products in the world: DJI.

America Just Took a Leap Backwards

America just took a catastrophic leap backwards in agriculture, construction, search and rescue, law enforcement, infrastructure, entertainment, safety, and yes, security.

This move does not make us more secure. It does the opposite. And the saddest part is that our decision makers won’t realize it until the damage is done.