US Commerce Department drops plan to crack down on Chinese drones

The US Commerce Department ‍said on Friday it has withdrawn a plan to impose restrictions on Chinese drones to address national security concerns after an earlier crackdown on passenger cars and trucks.

Last month, the US Federal Communications Commission barred imports of new models of foreign-made drones and critical components including from China’s DJI and Autel on US national security ⁠grounds.

The FCC this week said it was exempting some non-Chinese drones from the restrictions.

The Commerce Department said in September it planned to issue rules that could restrict or potentially bar imports of Chinese drones to address information and communication technology supply chain issues.

It sent the proposal to the White House for review on October 8 before withdrawing the proposal on Thursday, according to a posting on a government website on Friday.

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China’s biggest drone maker DJI blacklisted by US defence department

China’s biggest drone maker DJI blacklisted by US defence department

The ‍FCC restrictions mean Chinese dronemakers will not be able to obtain the necessary approval to sell new models of drones or critical components ‍in the US. They do not prohibit the import, sale or use of any existing drone models the agency previously authorised, nor do they impact any previously bought drones.