DJI has informed The Verge that it currently faces restrictions on importing its drones into the United States, which affects the retail availability of its latest consumer drone, the Air 3S. This situation arises due to customs-related issues that restrict DJI’s ability to bring certain drones into the U.S.

The company clarified that this is not due to a sudden U.S. ban on DJI drones. Instead, the restrictions appear to be part of a broader initiative by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to examine the origins of products, especially those made in China. DJI conveyed this understanding in a letter to its distributors, suggesting U.S. Customs and Border Protection is invoking the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) to justify blocking imports. The company asserted that forced labor is not used in the production of its drones.

DJI’s recent distribution of this letter has been discussed both on drone-related websites and on Reddit. The letter was reportedly confirmed as legitimate to The Verge by DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong and had been covered by Reuters earlier in the day.

In a newly published official blog post, DJI referred to the import issues as a “misunderstanding.” The company is actively providing U.S. Customs with documentation to demonstrate that it neither manufactures goods in the Xinjiang region of China, where Uyghurs have been forcibly detained nor breaches U.S. law or international standards. DJI states that all its products are manufactured in Shenzhen or Malaysia, with U.S. retailers having audited its supply chain.

While the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that could ban DJI drones from being imported into the country, this legislation must also pass the Senate. The Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 omitted the DJI ban at the last check, although it could be reconsidered as an amendment in the final bill.

According to DJI, the customs issue has mainly impacted its enterprise and agricultural drones. However, it also limits the retail availability of the Air 3S in the U.S., restricting its sales to DJI’s official website. The company is working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to address the problem and remains optimistic about a swift resolution.

Previously, the U.S. government has imposed certain restrictions on DJI drones. However, those measures did not prevent stores from purchasing them, consumers from buying them, or pilots from flying them in the U.S. Notably, the Department of Commerce’s "entity list" prevents U.S. companies from exporting technology to DJI, and certain government entities have faced restrictions on purchasing new DJI drones.

Should Congress impose an import ban on DJI products, existing owners could potentially continue using their drones. However, the FCC would be unable to authorize DJI devices equipped with radios for U.S. use, effectively halting all imports.

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