Background

The FCC Covered List is a US Federal Communications Commission regulatory instrument under Section 1709 of the FY25 NDAA, designating communications equipment and components that cannot receive new FCC authorisations on national security grounds. On 22 December 2025 the FCC added all foreign-manufactured drones and critical components to the list, preventing companies such as DJI and Autel Robotics from certifying new products for the US market.

The Covered List acts as a market-access gate: companies on it cannot sell newly certified products to US consumers, federal contractors, or military end-users. For DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, it effectively closes the US market to new product lines. For the US defence industry, it removes the cheapest commercial-off-the-shelf drone options from government procurement lists, pushing defence users toward more expensive US-manufactured alternatives.

Common Questions

Is DJI banned in the United States?

DJI drones were added to the FCC Covered List on 22 December 2025, preventing new FCC certification of DJI products for the US market. Existing authorisations are unaffected.Source: FCC order, December 2025

What is the FCC Covered List and what does it do?

The FCC Covered List designates communications equipment that cannot receive new FCC authorisations for US sale. Drones were added in December 2025 under FY25 NDAA Section 1709, effectively barring DJI and Autel Robotics from certifying new products.Source: Background

What is the FCC Covered List and how does it affect DJI?

The FCC Covered List is a US Federal Communications Commission regulatory instrument under Section 1709 of the FY25 NDAA, barring listed companies from obtaining new FCC product certifications on national security grounds. DJI was added in December 2025, effectively blocking it from launching new products in the US market. DJI quantified $1.56 billion in 2026 losses from this restriction.Source: drones-industry-defence briefing

When were drones added to the FCC Covered List?

The FCC added all foreign-manufactured drones and critical components to the Covered List on 22 December 2025, preventing DJI and Autel Robotics from certifying new products for the US market.Source: drones-industry-defence briefing #2

Is DJI challenging its FCC Covered List placement in court?

Yes. DJI filed its Opposition Brief in the Ninth Circuit (Case 26-1029) on 22 April 2026, asking the court to deny the FCC's motion to dismiss and hold the case in abeyance for six months pending a status report in November 2026. DJI cited $700 million in losses from fourteen existing products whose FCC authorisations were set aside, plus $860 million from 25 new products it cannot launch in 2026.Source: drones-industry-defence briefing

Why does the DoD oppose removing DJI from the Covered List?

The Department of Defense filed a classified intelligence annex on 3 April 2026 opposing DJI's FCC petition. The classified Nature of the annex means DJI cannot contest the specific evidence in its Ninth Circuit case, and three independent regulatory layers now converge to foreclose DJI from the US market.Source: drones-industry-defence briefing #5

How the World Sees Them

The Covered List is a blunt market-access instrument; it restricts new sales but does not address existing DJI drones already in use across US government agencies.

China

Beijing frames the list as protectionist rather than security-driven; DJI has contested its inclusion in US federal courts.

US drone industry

Domestic manufacturers benefit from the removal of DJI as a competitive option in the federal market, but US-made alternatives are typically 3-10x the price.