Written by David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it is considering new rules that would impose restrictions on Chinese drones that would ban or ban them from the United States, citing national security concerns.
The department said it is seeking public comment on March 4 on potential regulations to protect the sale of drones, saying threats from China and Russia “could give our adversaries the ability to remotely access and operate these devices, exposing sensitive US information.”
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China accounts for the majority of US commercial drone sales.
In September, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the department could impose restrictions similar to those that effectively ban Chinese cars from the United States and would focus on drones with Chinese and Russian equipment, chips and software.
He told Reuters in November that he hoped to finalize China’s auto regulations by Jan. 20.
The decision to draft new regulations to ban or ban Chinese drones will be made by the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20.
Washington has taken a series of measures to curb Chinese drones over the past year.
Last month, President Joe Biden signed a law that would bar China-based DJI and Autel Robotics from selling new drone models in the U.S. An unnamed U.S. agency must decide within one year whether drones from DJI or Autel Robotics are placing an unacceptable risk to national security.
DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer that sells more than half of all U.S. drones, said that if no agency completes the investigation it will prevent the company from introducing new products in the US.
In September, the House of Representatives voted to ban new drones from DJI from operating in the US.
In October, DJI sued the Ministry of Defense for including it on a list of companies allegedly cooperating with Beijing’s military, saying the designation was unfair and caused financial damage to the company.
DJI told Reuters in October that Customs and Border Protection was stopping imports of DJI drones from entering the United States, citing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. No forced labor was involved at any stage of its production, DJI said.
American lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concern that DJI drones pose data transmission, surveillance and national security risks, which the company denies. Congress in 2019 banned the Pentagon from buying or using drones and parts manufactured in China.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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