Dec 30, 2025

Chinese drones and the FCC ban: What growers need to know

While many farmers in the U.S. were taking a break from the farm life grind and getting ready for holiday festivities, the long-rumored ban on foreign drone technology was quietly implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 22.

According to reporting from Dana Nickel at Politico, the FCC action effectively blacklisted “all new foreign made drones and components” stating the equipment poses “an unacceptable risk” to national security.

One point to note: the fact that new components were included in the ban means that growers with foreign-made drones will need to purchase wearable components like propellors and batteries before the current U.S. supply is depleted.

What does this mean for farmers with Autel, DJI and XAG drones?

A DJI spokesperson confirms the restrictions “will not affect customers who already own DJI products. These existing products can continue to be purchased and operated as usual.”

That means growers with DJI and XAG scouting and spray drones already in the barn need not worry, they can still use those drones to spray crops, scout acres and do plant stand, tree counts and plant health scans throughout the growing season.

What are the top “American Made” drone options?

Right now, the top made-in-the-USA drone options include:

AcuSpray and Exedy Drones introduced the AYRE CX spray drone (pictured right) at Great Lakes EXPO 2025. The two Michigan-based companies have formed a collabortation to bring U.S. built drones to market.

AgriSpray Drones EAVision J150 and J100 spray drones are built in Boonville, Missouri.

Anzu Robotics builds its Raptor and Raptor T scouting drone platforms in Austin, Texas. The drones are remarkably similar to DJI’s popular Mavic 3 platform.

Ceres Air introduced its Black Betty Stacked hybrid spray/heavy payload lift drone (pictured left) at Great Lakes EXPO 2025. The company is based in North Springfield, Vermont.

Hylio is a Texas-based drone manufacturer with multiple spray drone options and a scouting drone platform. It also offers a dry fertilizer spreader attachment for its spray drone platforms.

Truss Services, LLC., a farm equipment dealer located in Bucyrus, Ohio, offers a line of American made Revolution Drones spray drones. The company exhibited its drones at Great Lakes EXPO 2025 in December.

What else should I know about the foreign drone ban?

One thing to keep in mind about this regulatory action is that it may change in the weeks and months ahead.

“The FCC’s fact sheet indicates that new products may, in the future, be cleared for [U.S.] launch based on determinations made by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security,” a DJI spokesperson said.

The spokesperson reaffirmed DJI’s ongoing commitment to the U.S. drone market and pledged it will keep customers and users updated if anything changes with the ban.

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