US Commerce Department withdraws plan to restrict Chinese drones

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on January 9, 2026, local time, that it had withdrawn its plans to regulate Chinese-made drones. However, the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) restrictions on foreign-made drones remain in effect.

US Commerce Department drops plan to impose restrictions on Chinese-made drones | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-commerce-department-drops-plan-impose-restrictions-chinese-made-drones-2026-01-09/

US Department of Commerce lifts planned crackdown on Chinese drones, including DJI — company gets reprieve ahead of Xi-Trump meeting in April, but the FCC ban still stands | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/us-department-of-commerce-lifts-planned-crackdown-on-chinese-drones-including-dji-company-gets-reprieve-ahead-of-xi-trump-meeting-in-april-but-the-fcc-ban-still-stands

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a plan to restrict or completely ban imports of Chinese-made drones in September 2025 to address issues related to the information and communications technology supply chain. The Commerce Department reportedly sent the plan to the White House for review on October 8.

The White House and the Department of Commerce subsequently held discussions on drones until December 9th, and on December 11th, they met with officials from DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, a Chinese company. DJI officials reportedly argued that blanket restrictions on Chinese-made drones were 'unnecessary, flawed in concept, and extremely harmful to American interests.'

On January 9, 2026, the Department of Commerce announced that it had withdrawn its plans to restrict Chinese-made drones. This follows the US government freezing some of its actions against China ahead of the US-China summit scheduled for April, and the withdrawal of the drone restrictions follows that freeze.

At the time of writing, the Department of Commerce and DJI had not responded to requests for comment from Reuters.

In addition to the Department of Commerce, the FCC also blacklists foreign-made drones, including DJI. While the Department of Commerce's regulations aim to prevent the import of drones altogether, the FCC's regulations prevent the acquisition of device certification. While the FCC does not necessarily restrict the import of drones themselves, FCC certification is required for import into the United States.

US government adds new DJI models and all other foreign drones to blacklist - GIGAZINE

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, speaking at the technology trade show CES 2026 in January, emphasized the phrase 'American drone dominance.'

FCC Chairman Reveals New Drone Exemptions At CES 2026, Outlines Path To 'American Drone Dominance'
https://dronexl.co/2026/01/09/fcc-chairman-drone-ban-ces-2026/

According to Carr, the FCC's regulations would exempt drones that are on the Department of Defense's approved list, drones with more than 65% of their components manufactured in the United States, and drones from manufacturers approved on a case-by-case basis.

'Carr's CES speech made an important statement: the FCC is not treating drone regulations as a hard and fast ban. The FCC is actively building exemptions and working with domestic manufacturers to ensure this transition does not negatively impact drone operations in the United States,' said drone media outlet DroneXL.