FCC Foreign Drone Ban Could Hit US Farmers Where It Hurts Most
- Michelle Truman
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
Article by Rafael Suárez January 3, 2026
When the FCC quietly added foreign made drones and components to its Covered List last week, the move was framed as a clean national security win. Chinese manufacturer DJI was effectively frozen out of future approvals, a decision the agency says reduces the risk of surveillance, data exfiltration, and drone based threats to the homeland, as reported by Farm Policy News.
On paper, that sounds tidy. On the ground, especially on American farms, it is anything but.
The FCC made clear that drones already authorized and sold in the United States are not affected. Farmers can keep flying what they already own.
But no new DJI agricultural drones, no new imports, no upgrades coming through official channels. That matters, because DJI is not a niche player in agriculture. It is the market.
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