DJI Photo:VCG

Chinese drone producer DJI formally filed an appeal with the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Friday (US Eastern Time), challenging the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) December 23, 2025 decision to place the company and its products on a so-called "covered list," the Global Times learned exclusively from the company on Tuesday.

In a response to the Global Times, DJI said that the move aims to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, as well as to protect US consumers and agricultural users who rely on DJI products but have been affected by the ban.

In its petition, DJI argued that the FCC's decision suffers from "serious procedural flaws and substantive defects." The company said that the FCC placed DJI on the "covered list" without providing any substantive evidence that its products pose a threat to US national security. "Such action not only contravenes the principles of due process but also may violate the US Constitution and relevant federal laws," the company contended.

According to a previous Reuters report, the FCC announced on December 22, 2025 (local time) that it had barred imports of all new models of foreign-made drones and critical components including from China's DJI and Autel, claiming that they pose unacceptable "risks to US national security," and prohibited approval of new drone models for import or sale in the US.

Under the US Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 and new rules issued by the FCC on November 25, 2022 to implement the legislation, foreign drone manufacturers placed on the list are barred from obtaining FCC authorization to sell new drone models in the US. FCC equipment authorization is a prerequisite for communications products or services to enter the US market. 

DJI said that it was "disappointed" by the decision to include it on the list. "This action not only restricts the freedom of choice for American consumers and commercial users, but also undermines the principles of an open and fair competitive market," the company said.

Notably, once the FCC ban was announced late last year, it immediately triggered strong reactions from the US consumer market and agricultural sector, sparking a wave of stockpiling. A large number of American filmmakers, agricultural technology workers and emergency responders voiced concerns on social media, complaining that the government was depriving them of essential tools for their livelihoods.

A report by The Wall Street Journal said that the ban has been met with uproar from large swaths of the nearly half a million certified American commercial drone pilots. Many pilots are hoarding DJI drones and parts, sending last-ditch letters to their Congressional representatives and the White House, and forecasting the demise of their livelihoods that rely on China-made drones for which they say there is no Western replacement, according to the report.

Greg Reverdiau, co-founder of the Pilot Institute in Prescott, Arizona told the Wall Street Journal that "people are not buying the [DJI] drone because it's a Chinese drone, they are buying the drone because it is available, it's highly affordable and it's capable."

DJI has long held more than 70 percent of the global civilian drone market. In the US, it accounts for roughly 70 to 90 percent of the consumer, commercial and government drone markets, according to media reports. Among more than 1,800 state and local law enforcement agencies in the US, more than 80 percent use DJI products.

As of the third quarter of 2025, DJI's action camera series had also surpassed US brand GoPro with a 66 percent share of the global market, ranking first worldwide. In the panoramic camera segment, a single product launched in 2025 quickly captured 43 percent of the global market share.

DJI filed lawsuits against the US Department of Defense on October 18, 2024 and October 14, 2025 over its inclusion on the Pentagon's "Chinese Military Companies" list.

Asked to comment on the FCC's move to add DJI to the so-called "covered list," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing on December 23, 2025 that China firmly opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security and making discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies. "The US should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies," Lin added.