Banning Chinese-made drones? From rescue teams to farmers, many in the US oppose it
2024-08-09
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[Global Times reporter Ding Yazhi] The United States is considering banning the sale and use of drones made in China, especially products of Shenzhen DJI Innovations Technology Co., Ltd. This decision has sparked widespread controversy, with a large number of loyal users, from mountain rescue teams to police stations and farmers, protesting by calling elected officials, writing op-eds and signing joint letters to oppose the ban.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 8th that Nordfors, the head of aerial operations for the Weber County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, had a story. Nordfors tried to use a drone made by a Silicon Valley company for a search and rescue exercise, but found that it could not reach the top of the mountain at all and eventually returned due to loss of signal. Nordfors said that after testing multiple drones, DJI's product performed best. He was worried that if the US government banned the use of DJI drones, it would seriously affect the efficiency of search and rescue work.
DJI drone data source: Visual China
In April this year, The Washington Post also reported in an article about the current status of the small drone industry in the United States. Frontline drone search and rescue coordinators in the United States are glad that state legislators have not banned the use of Chinese drones. They believe that American manufacturers are "years behind" and have a significant impact on life and death during search and rescue.
In recent years, the United States has repeatedly targeted Chinese companies on the grounds of so-called "data security". People from both parties, military officials and federal regulators have labeled Chinese companies as national security risks in an attempt to curb China's technological development and protect domestic industries and market competition in the United States. However, DJI drones have a huge market share in the United States, accounting for about 70% to 90%. The Wall Street Journal said that from real estate agents to filmmakers, from firefighters to roof inspectors, to public utilities and law enforcement agencies, they all have a high dependence on DJI drones. The U.S. Secret Service also purchased more than 20 drones before the restrictions were implemented.
DJI warned that the ban could cost the United States billions of dollars and affect thousands of jobs. "Killing the largest manufacturer out of the market would also create a vacuum in the U.S. drone ecosystem," DJI said in a letter to Congress. However, U.S. national security experts have exaggerated that dependence on Chinese drones is dangerous and China could use it in a conflict.
In June this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an "Anti-Chinese Drone Act", which is part of the U.S. 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The purpose is to prevent DJI's new equipment or software from obtaining U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification, and it may also lead to the revocation of existing FCC authorizations. If the bill is passed by the Senate and formally signed by the U.S. President, it may put this Chinese company at risk of being completely banned from sales in the United States.
However, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee did not include this ban clause in its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. The version passed by a vote of 22 to 3 in a closed-door vote and is scheduled to be submitted to the full Senate for deliberation. If the Senate version passes, the differences will be reconciled with the House version.
In addition, some local politicians in the United States have begun to take action against DJI. According to reports, at least seven states have passed bans on the use of Chinese drones by publicly funded institutions, but there are constant voices of opposition in the United States. Many people believe that American drones are not comparable to Chinese drones in terms of technical level, and the ban may have a negative impact on the US economy and multiple industries. In Florida, some counties have had to turn to purchasing American drones under the ban, but the performance is not as good as that of Chinese drones. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a similar bill in the state, believing that it would place a heavy burden on law enforcement agencies.
