The latest version of the NDAA bill released by the U.S. Senate does not include the amendment of the "Countering Chinese Drones Act."
Recently, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) released the full text of its 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) marked version. Unlike the version of the NDAA passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June this year, it does not include a provision prohibiting the sale of drones from the Chinese company DJI in the United States. This also means that DJI's drone products are expected to continue to be sold in the United States.
Previously, on June 14th local time, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the NDAA bill with a 22-3 vote, which included the amendment of the "Countering Chinese Drones Act." The amendment added DJI's equipment and services to the so-called "covered list," hoping to prevent DJI from obtaining future drone model FCC licenses in the United States, and may lead to the revocation of existing FCC authorizations. This means that DJI's drones may be banned from sale in the United States.
Now, the version of the NDAA bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives has entered the Senate for deliberation, but the latest version of the NDAA bill released by the U.S. Senate does not include the amendment of the "Countering Chinese Drones Act." Therefore, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate will continue to consult to reach a consensus on the two versions of the NDAA bill.
However, the version of the NDAA bill passed by the Senate excludes the ban on DJI, reflecting their more cautious attitude towards this issue. DJI drones are widely used in various fields, including agriculture, infrastructure, and public safety. A sudden ban may disrupt ongoing projects and hinder progress in key areas.
Recently, representatives of more than 6,000 public safety agencies, police, and fire departments across the United States wrote to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, opposing the inclusion of the "Countering Chinese Drones Act" in the NDAA.DJI Innovation: "Due to Two Versions of the NDAA, Further Conference Discussion is Required"
According to AgFunderNews, Adam Welsh, DJI's Global Policy Director, stated: "Since the SASC meeting this time was a closed-door session, it is difficult to know exactly why the House version of the NDAA bill excludes clauses targeting DJI. In recent weeks, people have relied on our products to maintain business, livelihoods, save lives (firefighters and other emergency services), and spray crops, and many of them are involved in this. What impact will this (ban on DJI) have on their ideas? We do not know."
As for what will happen next, he said, "Since there are two versions of the NDAA, they must continue to discuss through conferences, and senators appointed by the House and Senate will have to sit down and discuss the differences in the text."
"If it (the clause related to DJI) appears in the Senate version, then it is very likely to enter the final bill. Fortunately, this is not the case, and they will have to debate the differences and try to find the best option. All we can do is continue to engage with people and reiterate that our products have no data security issues, we have been repeatedly reviewed, and if they effectively ban DJI, it will not only hurt DJI but also many different vertical fields, including agriculture."
Adam Welsh added: "The recess in August is coming, and senators and representatives will return to their constituencies, so this is a great opportunity for people to try to contact legislators and explain why DJI drones are so important to their business. We are trying to meet as many people as possible, let them know about the work we have done in data security, and we also encourage our customers to stay involved and maintain pressure."
Results may be announced as early as November
As for when the NDAA will be passed finally, Adam Welsh said, "We believe the most likely outcome is that this may be voted on between November this year and January next year, as the United States is about to hold general elections."
Adam Welsh said that although adding DJI to the "covered list" may not affect existing DJI drone models, given that DJI launches at least one new model every year, this move will still have a huge impact on the U.S. agricultural industry. "If you look at the agricultural spraying industry, we are always looking for ways to make our drones more efficient, fly longer, and accommodate larger capacities, so that they can do larger planting areas. We are also constantly researching nozzles to reduce spray pattern drift."
When asked what he thinks the motivation of some U.S. lawmakers to ban DJI is, if the concern is about data returning to China - then why other Chinese drone operators have not become targets, he said: "This touches on the essence of the problem. It starts with the data security issues we have resolved, and then the argument shifts to our dominant market share and whether small U.S. manufacturers can compete with us in terms of price or quality, so I think this is their main driving force for targeting DJI.""If another Chinese company is as large as DJI, rest assured, they would also become a target," Adam Welsh added.
DJI accounts for nearly 80% of the consumer drone market in the U.S.
According to Drone Industry Insights, DJI's share of the consumer drone market in the U.S. was close to 80% last year, and the global share of consumer drones is nearly 70%. The remaining 30%, the domestic brand Daotong also occupies half.
According to AUVSI data, Chinese drones account for about 92% of the U.S. emergency response market; there is no latest data on DJI's market share in U.S. law enforcement agencies, but a 2020 study from Bard College showed that DJI's market share of drones in law enforcement agencies was 90%.
Even the American drone company Skydio admits that it is not as good as DJI in terms of technology and market share.
The global civilian drone market will reach 500 billion yuan by 2025.
Nowadays, drones have become the product of the deep integration of new electronic information technology and aviation industrial technology. They are an important carrier of automation, intelligence, and networking, and are also one of the hot development directions of global strategic emerging technologies. Modern drones integrate high-tech technologies such as autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Whether it is in assisting traffic, commercial operations, logistics transportation, or aerial photography, agricultural protection, deep space exploration, they all show great application value and development potential, and have been valued by countries around the world. According to the "General Aviation Industry Development White Paper (2022)" released by the China Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd., the global civilian drone market maintains rapid growth, and the market size is expected to reach 500 billion yuan by 2025.
It is worth noting that with more high-value industrial-grade drone applications in production and life, the market share of consumer drones that once dominated the market has been declining year by year. The "White Paper" predicts that by 2025, the market size of industrial-grade drones will account for more than 80%.*Statement: This article is an original creation by the author. The content of the article represents the author's personal views. Our reposting is solely for the purpose of sharing and discussion, and does not represent our endorsement or agreement. If there are any objections, please contact the backend.
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