DJI claims that U.S. customs are hindering the import of its drones.

DJI has announced that it is currently facing difficulties in freely importing all its drones into the United States, which has resulted in its latest consumer model, the Air 3S, being unavailable in the market. The company has indicated that a customs-related issue is hindering its ability to import certain drones, but clarifies that this is not due to a sudden ban on its products by the U.S. government. According to DJI, the import restrictions are part of a broader initiative by the Department of Homeland Security, which seeks to examine the origin of products, especially concerning drones manufactured in China.

Recently, DJI sent a letter to its distributors explaining that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is citing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) as justification for blocking some of its imports. In this letter, which has circulated on various specialized sites, DJI states that it does not use forced labor in the manufacturing of its drones. A spokesperson for DJI, Daisy Kong, also confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

In a recent official post, the company has described this situation as a "misunderstanding" and is sending documentation to U.S. customs authorities to demonstrate that it does not produce anything in the Xinjiang region, where the Uyghur community has been subjected to forced detentions. DJI maintains that it complies with U.S. laws and international standards and that its supply chains have been audited by retailers in the U.S. The company asserts that it manufactures all its products in Shenzhen or Malaysia.

It is worth noting that DJI is not currently listed on the UFLPA Entity List maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, although it was previously included on the Commerce Department's Entity List under accusations of supplying drones to the Chinese government for surveillance of the Uyghurs. To date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not responded to requests for comments on this matter.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that could effectively ban the importation of DJI drones, although this restriction would also need approval in the Senate. So far, the Senate has removed the DJI ban from its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025, although it was reintroduced as an amendment and could still be included in the final bill.

DJI has indicated that this "customs-related issue" has primarily affected its drones for business and agriculture, but it has also limited the availability of the Air 3S to U.S. customers beyond its online store. The company asserts that it is actively working with Customs and Border Protection to resolve this situation and remains hopeful for a prompt resolution. Previously, the U.S. government had cracked down on DJI drones but had not reached the point of preventing stores from purchasing them or consumers from using them. The Commerce Department's entity list prohibits U.S. companies from exporting technology to DJI, and at times, purchases of the company's drones have been restricted by certain government entities. In the event that Congress imposes an import ban, it is expected that current owners of DJI drones could continue to use them, but the FCC would not be able to authorize DJI devices with radios for use in the U.S., thus blocking all imports.