{"id":2513436,"date":"2025-11-22T05:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trump-may-topple-chinas-global-drone-monopoly\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T05:35:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:35:30","slug":"how-trump-may-topple-chinas-global-drone-monopoly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trump-may-topple-chinas-global-drone-monopoly\/","title":{"rendered":"How Trump may topple China&#8217;s global drone monopoly"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-trump-may-topple-chinas-global-drone-monopoly%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2513436&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the article discusses an impending ban on the import of new Chinese drones, specifically products from DJI and Autel robotics, to the United States.This ban, expected to take effect shortly, is part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires a national security review of these drones. If the review is not completed by the December 22 deadline or finds the drones pose unacceptable security risks, the Federal Communications Commission will prohibit their import without government authorization.<\/p>\n<p>DJI and Autel dominate the U.S. and global drone markets, but concerns about national security have led to bipartisan efforts to restrict their use. The Trump governance had previously taken steps against Chinese drones, including military bans and adding DJI to trade blacklists, while the Biden administration continued with similar measures. An executive order signed by Trump recently promotes the growth of the American drone industry to reduce reliance on Chinese technology.<\/p>\n<p>Despite DJI&#8217;s public denials of security threats, intelligence briefings and classified reviews have highlighted risks associated with Chinese drones. Lawmakers,including Senators Tom Cotton and Kirsten gillibrand,are also pushing legislation to strengthen defenses against unauthorized drone activity near critical U.S. infrastructure. Experts expect that the ban will boost domestic drone manufacturing, leading to increased innovation and lower prices, thereby challenging China&#8217;s dominant position in the global drone market.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">How Trump may topple China&rsquo;s global drone monopoly without lifting a finger<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2410675\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>In just over a month, the first-ever private sector import ban on new Chinese drones to the United States will likely go into effect.<\/p>\n<p>The ban itself, which industry insiders say could help U.S. manufacturers break <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\">China&rsquo;s <\/a>unofficial global monopoly on the technology, wouldn&rsquo;t actually require President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> to act at all.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3895387\/trump-gives-zohran-mamdani-permission-call-him-fascist\/\">Trump gives Mamdani permission to call him &#8216;fascist&#8217; in Oval Office press conference<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3895470\/mamdani-sidesteps-house-vote-socialism-focus-very-little-resolutions\/\">Mamdani sidesteps House vote against socialism: &#8216;I focus very little on resolutions&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3895410\/trump-downplays-stefanik-branding-mamdani-jihadist\/\">Trump downplays Stefanik branding Mamdani a &#8216;jihadist&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2025, passed in December 2024, included a provision that set a one-year deadline for an &ldquo;appropriate national security agency&rdquo; to determine if &ldquo;communications or video surveillance equipment&rdquo; produced by DJI, Autel Robotics, and their subsidiaries &ldquo;pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Together, DJI and Autel account for nearly 90% of the U.S. drone market, with DJI&rsquo;s share of the global market exceeding 70%.<\/p>\n<p>If the review doesn&rsquo;t proactively conclude that DJI and Autel drones do not pose <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/national-security\/\">national security<\/a> risks, or if the federal government fails to complete the review by the Dec. 22 deadline, then those products will be added to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-communications-commission\/\">Federal Communications Commission&rsquo;s<\/a> &ldquo;Covered List,&rdquo; barring them from import to the U.S. without specific authorization from the government.<\/p>\n<p>As of last week, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a> had not started the drone review, a clear signal that a ban is looming on the horizon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Representatives for the FCC did not comment on the December deadline, while senior <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> officials told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the topic wasn&rsquo;t even on their radar.<\/p>\n<p>As it stands, the possible ban would only prevent new products from being imported to the U.S. However, the FCC opened the door to banning all DJI and Autel products further down the road in October, when the board voted unanimously to allow itself the ability to ban products retroactively, even if they were legally imported to the U.S. in the past, if their manufacturers are later deemed to be security risks.<\/p>\n<p>DJI has been waging an intense online messaging campaign, pressuring existing users of its technology to contact congressional lawmakers and demand an extension of the deadline. Adam Welsh, DJI&rsquo;s head of global policy, called for an extension earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The U.S. government has every right to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-senate-republicans-press-mayorkas-on-admission-of-eight-suspected-isis-terrorists-at-border\/\" title=\"Top Senate Republicans question Mayorkas about allowing eight suspected ISIS members into the country at the border\">strengthen national security measures<\/a>, but this must go hand-in-hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,&rdquo; Welsh said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>However, Michael Robbins, the president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that DJI&rsquo;s recent messaging campaign is &ldquo;disinformation&rdquo; and that U.S. lawmakers conducted the review in question even before the NDAA was signed into law last year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In summer of 2024 and actually spring of 2024, a brief was made to the United States Congress in a classified setting in a [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility] at the Capitol by elements of the intelligence community around the unacceptable security risk of Chinese drones,&rdquo; Robbins explained. &ldquo;A number of congressional staff, members of Congress, committee staff were part of that, which then got briefed to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a>, and I was in the room.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He continued, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what drove Section 1709 [of fiscal 2025 NDAA], and that&rsquo;s what DJI doesn&rsquo;t like to acknowledge, and instead says, &lsquo;Oh no, we need to have this review.&rsquo; No. The review is done, and yes, it does remain classified.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The DJI guys are running around everywhere like, &lsquo;Oh, there&rsquo;s no due process. There&rsquo;s been no review.&rsquo; But they have had reviews. There&rsquo;s been multiple reviews. They know that, but they don&rsquo;t like to acknowledge it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3891013\/trump-treading-water-epstein-economy-maga-coalition-splinters\/\"><strong>TRUMP TREADING WATER ON EPSTEIN AND THE ECONOMY AS MAGA COALITION SPLINTERS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A national crackdown on Chinese drones and other technologies tied to the Chinese <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/communist-party\/\">Communist Party<\/a> has seen growing, bipartisan support for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Trump himself took several steps to limit the federal government&rsquo;s exposure to Chinese drones during his first term, including barring Chinese drones from being used by all branches of the U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/military\/\">military<\/a> in 2018 and adding dozens of Chinese technology companies, including DJI, to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/commerce-department\/\">Commerce Department&rsquo;s<\/a> trade blacklist in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a> continued in the same vein. In 2021, Biden&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/treasury-department\/\">Treasury Department<\/a> designated DJI as an arm of the Chinese Military-Industrial Complex, and, in January 2024, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency published a memo claiming that Chinese drones &ldquo;continue to pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure and U.S. national security.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And over the summer, Trump signed an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/06\/unleashing-american-drone-dominance\/\">executive order<\/a> aimed at growing the American drone industry.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Drones are already transforming industries from logistics and infrastructure inspection to precision agriculture, emergency response, and public safety,&rdquo; the order reads. &ldquo;The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets. Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>DJI has publicly denied that the company poses a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-battles-biden-admin-decision-that-made-it-easier-for-terrorists-to-enter-us\/\" title=\"GOP Battles Biden Admin Decision That Made It Easier for Terrorists To Enter US\">direct national security threat<\/a> to the U.S., but in 2019, Brendan Schulman, the company&rsquo;s former vice president of policy and legal affairs, tacitly acknowledged a data-sharing operation with Beijing while <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9GUbssVARYc\">testifying<\/a> in response to a parliamentary inquiry in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re operating our drone in a way that&rsquo;s critical,&rdquo; he said at the time, &ldquo;don&rsquo;t send us the data.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Congress is pursuing its own security measures regarding Chinese drones. Senators <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-cotton\/\">Tom Cotton<\/a> (R-AR) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kirsten-gillibrand\/\">Kirsten Gillibrand<\/a> (D-GA) introduced a bill in May that would provide the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security with new resources to destroy any unauthorized drones flying near military infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>A number of lawmakers in Trump&rsquo;s home state of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\">Florida<\/a> have taken action on the issue in recent years. Republican Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-desantis\/\">Ron DeSantis<\/a> enacted a statewide ban on government agencies and personnel operating drones from China and other &ldquo;foreign countries of concern,&rdquo; and Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rick-scott\/\">Rick Scott<\/a> (R-FL) introduced legislation last Congress banning the import of Chinese drones to the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Scott additionally pressed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr last month to move forward with a retroactive ban.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For years, I have worked to reduce the United States&rsquo; dependence on foreign suppliers, especially Communist China, for critical drone technologies,&rdquo; Scott wrote to Carr in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rickscott.senate.gov\/2025\/10\/sen-rick-scott-urges-fcc-to-crack-down-on-communist-chinese-drone-companies-evading-u-s-scrutiny\">letter<\/a>. &ldquo;Our work to address this will not only strengthen national security but also bolster American industry, create high-quality jobs, and ensure that future generations of drones are designed and built according to trusted standards. We can reclaim our leadership in the global drone market, and this new proposed order can be an integral part of that effort.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Robbins additionally suggested Trump&rsquo;s previous drone policies, including new investments from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-defense\/\">Department of War<\/a> and deregulatory decisions taken by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-transportation\/\">Department of Transportation<\/a>, would unshackle American drone manufacturing, once the December ban is enacted.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3890097\/trump-administration-slow-plays-decision-expanding-automate-railroad-inspection-technology\/\"><strong>TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SLOW-PLAYS DECISION ON EXPANDING AUTOMATED RAILROAD INSPECTION TECHNOLOGY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The reality is that for the past decade, us drone manufacturers have been held back by a market that&rsquo;s been distorted by subsidization by the People&rsquo;s Republic of China into their drone industry and a flooding of the global market of those subsidized Chinese drones,&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to see a significant surge in domestic drone manufacturing, in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >allied nation drone manufacturing<\/a>, and with that surge, you&rsquo;ll start seeing even greater capacity to innovate, and you&rsquo;re going to see prices start to come down.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We think it&rsquo;s a slam dunk,&rdquo; Robbins concluded. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a pretty clear case for action, and we anticipate that will occur, and that will be a significant recognition that the security risks of Chinese drones are very serious. Period full stop.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump may end China&#8217;s drone monopoly with import ban soon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2645,"featured_media":2513437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP24213427707275.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4501,7237,32404,67519,3634],"class_list":["post-2513436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-china","tag-drones","tag-geopolitics","tag-global-monopoly","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP24213427707275.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2645"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2513436"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2513440,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513436\/revisions\/2513440"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2513437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2513436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2513436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2513436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}