Customs Slows DJI Drone Imports

A "customs-related misunderstanding" is currently affecting the world's largest dronemaker's ability to import select drones into the United States, 

Da-Jiang Innovation (DJI) calls the action "part of a broader initiative by the Department of Homeland Security to scrutinize the origins of products, particularly in the case of Chinese made drones."

"This is a customs matter and the evidence clearly demonstrates DJI’s compliance with existing laws. It is important to note that this is not a ban and does not appear to be linked to the proposed legislation against DJI in the U.S. Congress," the company said in a statement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cited the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), as the reason for the current holdups. 

The UFLPA requires CBP to presume that all goods made “wholly or in part” in Xinjiang, and/or by certain listed entities, were made using forced labor and, therefore, are inadmissible into the United States. U.S. law allows the CBP to withhold goods even in the absence of tangible evidence. 

"DJI does not manufacture anything – in whole or in part – in Xinjiang. DJI has no manufacturing facilities in Xinjiang, nor do we source materials from the region. All of our manufacturing is based in Shenzhen, where our company is headquartered, or Malaysia," the company said, noting " DJI's supply chain undergoes rigorous due diligence audits by respected U.S. retailers. Their findings have consistently found that there is no evidence of forced labor within our supply chain."

Congress targets firm

Congressional critics have long objected to the Chinese firm's dominance of the consumer drone market, estimated at between 75 and 90 percent worldwide.    China hawks Elise Stefanik (R-NY)  and John Moolenaar (R-MI) applauded the move by CBP.

"“For years CCP-drone manufacturer DJI has been rightfully blacklisted by the U.S. government for actively aiding the CCP in carrying out surveillance for their genocidal crimes against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Now we have discovered that DJI is not only aiding this genocide but also forcing Uyghur slave labor in Xinjiang to manufacture the very drones used to surveil the human rights abuses against them in direct violation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

"DJI is advancing the capabilities of the Chinese military, carrying out human rights abuses, using slave labor, and spying on Americans. It is past time to end U.S. dependence on this anti-American company and bolster American manufacturing by getting our unanimously passed Countering CCP Drones Act signed into law."

The Countering CCP Drones Act, which would require the FCC to add DJI to the FCC Covered List, thereby prohibiting future models of DJI drones from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure, is currently before Congress. [12696]