Drone maker Skydio hit with sanctions from China, battery supply cut off due to drone supply to Taiwan

Skydio, America's largest drone manufacturer, has revealed that it has been hit with sanctions from China for selling drones to Taiwan. As a result of these sanctions, the company will no longer be able to supply batteries, so for the time being,

Skydio has its drone manufacturing base in the United States and has made significant investments to move parts suppliers outside of China, but some parts, such as batteries, are still being sourced from China.

Fortunately, there is a plentiful supply of batteries, and a new battery supplier has been found, but deliveries are not expected to begin until spring 2025. For the time being, the Skydio X10 kits will be limited to one battery per drone.

Skydio X10 | Skydio

Instead, for the products sold with fewer batteries, the warranty and support periods will be extended by the time it took to supply spare batteries.

Skydio exited its consumer business in 2023, and its main customers since then have been Taiwanese fire departments and the Ukrainian military.

In response to the sanctions, Skydio sent a strong message: 'We are proud to support critical infrastructure providers, disaster first responders, and allied military forces around the world. We are proud to support Taiwan and will never shrink from doing so.'