31 January 2025
"If you can't ban 'em—hold them up at Customs."
Although the phrase above is obviously a riff on the old "If you can't beat 'em—join 'em" trope, some shipments of DJI drones have been parked at Customs since October 2024.
This action allegedly is not related the U.S. Government's ongoing drive to ban Chinese-manufactured DJI drones due to security concerns, but it seems to, once again, be the result of some sort of a "Who is Telling the Truth?" misunderstanding.
Since October of last year, the United States claims DJI has run afoul of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) that stops products manufactured using forced labor from entering these shores. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asserts that DJI has done just that—assembling drones in a forced-labor facility in China's Xinjiang region.
DJI is countering that it does comply with U.S. regulations, and that "rigorous" supply-chain audits by U.S. retailers have shown no evidence that forced labor is used to make DJI products. Furthermore, DJI claims its sole manufacturing plants are in Shenzhen and Malaysia—not Xinjiang.
Unfortunately, until the matter is resolved, some customers who have ordered the DJI Flip and other models are not receiving their drones. Obviously, Customs isn't imposing a life sentence on DJI products. The cases are being cleared, but it can take weeks before a drone is approved for import and find its way to your doorstep.
Watch a DJI Drone Discussion About this Problem from October 2024
