Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a vote that could have a profound impact on the current use and future sale of Chinese drones in the U.S. In a 3-0 vote, the FCC moved to “close loopholes in the FCC's Covered List and secure America's communication's networks against devices determined to pose an unacceptable risk to national security.”

The Covered List includes equipment of services “that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.”

In a statement, the FCC said that many devices on the Covered List “are closely tied to foreign adversaries, like China, and can allow the CCP to surveil Americans, disrupt communications networks, and otherwise threaten U.S. national security.” At present, the FCC prohibits “the importation, sale, and marketing of new, insecure Huawei, Hikvision, and other Covered List devices in the U.S.”

However, the agency said, its “regulations have not applied those prohibitions to previously authorized devices, permitting their continued importation, sale, and marketing,” and “those regulations have not applied to component parts that are included within otherwise authorized devices.”

For commercial UAV operators, the FCC’s vote could affect the ways they source vehicles and work with Chinese-made vehicles that are already part of their fleets. As an article in The Verge stated, the vote lets the FCC “retroactively ban gadgets and radio components that it previously approved for entry into the United States, if the company that makes them is deemed a national security risk.” Moreover, the piece asserted, the FCC’s action “could also give the Trump administration a new way to block Chinese consumer electronics that run on the open airwaves, starting with those from dronemaker DJI.”

As previously reported in Commercial UAV News, Chinese tech companies like DJI have been contending with potential actions from the U.S. government that could severely limit or entirely ban their ability to sell drones in the country. The most significant of these actions is the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which orders a review of Chinese drones to determine if a ban is warranted. Under the act, if the audit is not completed by December 23, 2025, DJI drones would be placed on the Covered List, which would likely make it impossible for operators to use DJI drones in the U.S. going forward.

Responding to the recent FCC vote, DJI told DroneXL that “DJI is not included on the FCC’s Covered List, so this change to the rules does not currently apply to DJI.” Moreover, DJI addressed the looming December 23 deadline for the mandated review of its products, stating, “As the deadline approaches, we urge the U.S. government to start the mandated review or grant an extension to ensure a fair, evidence-based process that protects American jobs, safety, and innovation.”

In U.S., DJI drones are used by thousands of commercial operators in applications ranging from photography to construction to public safety. Many drone industry observers believe that the FCC’s recent vote and the December 23 audit deadline could have a significant impact on U.S. drone operations—if not an outright ban.

For example, DroneDJ said, the FCC’s vote is “a big deal because it could become the final nail in the coffin for DJI’s new drones in the US.” Moreover, the publication asserted, moving DJI products to the FCC’s Covered List “could also stop DJI from importing any new drones or wireless products into the US starting December 23.”

Watch Commercial UAV News for regular updates on government actions regarding Chinese-made drones.