FCC Partially Reverses Foreign Drone Ban

Restriction still covers UAS and components produced by the Chinese company, which has raised alarm among drone pilots.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, January 08, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The FCC eased a restriction on foreign drones and components, but the ban still affects China’s DJI. [Credit: DJI]

Key Takeaways:

The FCC partially reversed a broad ban on foreign drones and components, exempting those on the Pentagon's "Blue List" and U.S.-manufactured drones (meeting a 65% domestic component threshold).
Despite the partial reversal, China's DJI, a dominant drone manufacturer in the U.S., remains on the covered list, prohibiting the sale of its new models.
The continued ban on DJI is a major concern for American drone operators across various sectors, who heavily rely on DJI products and report a lack of viable, affordable alternatives.

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Correction: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the Commercial Drone Alliance’s stance on UAS manufactured in China. This story has been updated to reflect the group’s neutral position.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday partially reversed a sweeping ban on the sale of foreign drones and components. But to the chagrin of American uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operators, the ban still covers China’s DJI, which produces some of the world’s most widely used drones.