• DJI has filed a lawsuit against the US FCC over an import ban affecting new drone models.
• The FCC's decision categorizes DJI's products as national security risks, limiting sales in the US.
• The lawsuit highlights DJI's claim that it was not given a chance to address security concerns.

Chinese drone maker DJI, recognized as the world's largest producer of drones, has initiated a lawsuit against the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The legal challenge, filed with the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, seeks to overturn the FCC's decision that bans the importation and sale of its new models and critical components within the United States. DJI contends that the FCC's actions "carelessly restrict" its business operations, limiting consumer access to its latest drone technology, according to South China Morning Post and Channel News Asia.

The ban, enacted in December 2024, deems DJI and other foreign drone manufacturers, such as Autel, as posing unacceptable risks to national security under the "Covered List" established by the FCC. This classification prevents these companies from obtaining necessary approvals to market and import new products into the U.S. DJI asserts that the FCC has failed to establish any specific security threat linked to its products, thereby denying it the opportunity to defend itself against the allegations, as reported by both Channel News Asia and India Times.

DJI's lawsuit further argues that the FCC process violated legal procedures and claimed the FCC exceeded its authority. The petition filed by DJI demands that the FCC’s ruling be vacated and any additional proper relief be granted by the court. The FCC's Covered List, which targets communication equipment with perceived risks to U.S. national security, has recently exempted some non-Chinese made drones, but none from DJI, highlighting a growing divide between the U.S. and Chinese drone markets, according to South China Morning Post and India Times.

The escalating tensions around drone technology have seen scrutiny from U.S. authorities over accusations of surveillance and national security implications involving Chinese manufacturers. In a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Commerce Department has noted ongoing evaluations of drone technologies from foreign adversaries, further complicating DJI's legal challenges, as mentioned by Channel News Asia and India Times.