The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it will ban all new models of foreign-made drones because of national security concerns, a move that will shut out Chinese drone manufacturers DJI and Autel from the U.S. market.

The FCC said in a Dec. 22 public notice that its decision was made after obtaining results from an executive-branch interagency review convened by the White House, which concluded that foreign drones and related critical components pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”

“I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign drones and related components, which pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.

“Following President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with U.S. drone makers to unleash American drone dominance.”

The determination warned that foreign-made drones are at risk of being used for “attacks and disruptions, unauthorized surveillance, sensitive data exfiltration, and other UAS [unmanned aircraft system] threats to the homeland.”

The FCC said addressing these risks is essential to restore U.S. “airspace sovereignty,” warning that “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists” using foreign-made drones could pose serious threats to upcoming major events in the United States, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the America250 celebrations, and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The move would not prevent consumers from using drones they already own, the FCC said, nor would it ban retailers from selling or importing existing models previously authorized by the commission.

The addition to the blacklist means DJI and other drone companies will no longer be able to obtain the FCC approval required to sell new drone models or critical components in the United States.

The review said the Pentagon or the Department of Homeland Security could later determine that certain drones pose no risk and exempt them from the restrictions, according to the FCC.

DJI, a private company headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said earlier this month that more than 80 percent of the nation’s 1,800-plus state and local law enforcement and emergency response agencies that operate drone programs use DJI technology.

The Epoch Times contacted DJI and Autel for comment but didn’t receive a response by publication time.

Response

Sebastian Gorka, senior director of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said the FCC’s latest action would ensure that drones are made in the United States.

“Drones are a large part of America’s future security,” Gorka wrote on X on Dec. 22.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote on X that the FCC action “will enhance ... public safety and ensure a strong and resilient drone industrial base.”

Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, welcomed the FCC action, saying that it “will accelerate innovation, enhance system security, and ensure the U.S. drone industry expands rather than remaining under foreign control,” according to a statement.

“Recent history underscores why the United States must increase domestic drone production and secure its supply chains,” Robbins said, pointing to China’s willingness to reduce medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and restrict the export of critical minerals needed for semiconductors.

Lin Jian, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), accused the United States of making “discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies,” when asked by reporters about the FCC action at a regular press briefing on Dec. 23.

Some lawmakers and the House Select Committee on China have endorsed the FCC action.

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said the use of Chinese-made drones “has been a counterintelligence nightmare for years,” given their access over the U.S. airspace.

“The CCP can leverage this technology to map out every square inch of our country, including our most critical assets, many of which impact a wide range of industries vital to Americans’ daily lives,” Crawford wrote on X.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote on X that “ensuring that foreign-made drones don’t pose a threat to Americans is essential before granting them U.S. market access.”

In September, a U.S. district judge dismissed DJI’s lawsuit challenging its inclusion on the Pentagon’s blacklist of Chinese companies working with Beijing’s military.

Reuters contributed to this report.