DJI fans in the US could miss out on as many as 25 new drone and camera launches this year, as the company says a crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may cost it more than $1.5 billion in 2026 alone.
In a filing made to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, DJI offers the clearest picture yet of the financial damage it is suffering after the FCC placed the company’s products on its “Covered List” late last year. That list bars new equipment authorizations for products deemed to pose an unacceptable national security risk, effectively shutting the door on many future DJI launches in the US market.
For American drone buyers, it means this court fight is no longer just about policy or politics. It is also about whether new DJI drones, cameras, and related gear will keep reaching store shelves in the United States.
Related: DJI Pocket 4 camera becomes first real casualty of US FCC ban
What DJI is telling the court
In a petition filed by ex-FCC enforcer and Cooley LLP partner Travis LeBlanc, DJI argues that the FCC action caused the company “immediate and grave harm” the moment it was announced.
The tech giant says it stands to lose around $700 million from FCC authorizations that were set aside for 14 existing DJI products. It also projects another $860 million in losses if it cannot launch 25 new drone and non-drone products planned for the US in 2026.
That totals roughly $1.56 billion in potential losses this year.
DJI says the damage is not limited to itself. According to the filing, police departments, fire agencies, utilities, and other commercial users that depend on DJI hardware are also being affected because they can no longer purchase newly approved DJI products.
The company highlights that first responders frequently use DJI drones to improve emergency response times, reduce costs, and make better real-time decisions during rescues, fires, and public safety incidents. Utilities and energy companies, DJI adds, use its aircraft to inspect power plants, transmission lines, and critical infrastructure while reducing risks to human workers.
How this dispute started
The current legal fight traces back to December 22, 2025, when the FCC updated its Covered List to include foreign-made uncrewed aircraft systems and critical components. While the notice was broader than DJI alone, the move hit DJI especially hard because of its dominant position in the US drone market.
DJI then filed suit in February, asking the Ninth Circuit to overturn the FCC decision. At the time, the company said the regulator had never identified a specific threat tied to DJI products and had denied it a fair chance to respond. Now, in this latest filing, DJI is pushing back after the government argued the appeal should be dismissed as premature.
The FCC reportedly contends that DJI should wait while a petition for reconsideration remains pending at the agency. DJI’s answer is blunt: the ban is already active, already causing losses, and already blocking business.
The company told the court that the FCC’s decision should count as a final agency action because it “immediately prohibits DJI from marketing and importing its products,” with no further steps needed. In simpler terms, DJI says the punishment is happening now, so judicial review should happen now too.
The company also warns that accepting the FCC’s position would create a dangerous precedent where regulators could ban products, delay internal review indefinitely, and avoid court scrutiny in the meantime.
DJI has asked the court, at a minimum, to hold the case in abeyance for six months rather than dismiss it outright. That would pause the case while the FCC considers DJI’s administrative petition, but preserve DJI’s right to keep fighting if the agency does not act.
DJI’s broader US legal troubles
For many US consumers, DJI remains the most recognizable drone brand. Its products are widely used by hobbyists, filmmakers, surveyors, farmers, inspectors, and public safety agencies. That means the case has consequences beyond one company’s revenue.
If the FCC restrictions remain in place, American buyers may continue seeing fewer new DJI launches, reduced competition, and potentially higher prices across the broader drone market.
Supporters of the FCC action argue that the issue is national security and reducing dependence on foreign-made systems. Critics counter that sweeping restrictions can hurt emergency responders, businesses, and consumers who rely on mature, affordable technology already deeply embedded in operations. That tension is now front and center in court.
This FCC case is only one part of DJI’s wider struggle in Washington. The company has also faced scrutiny from Congress, Pentagon-related blacklists, and repeated calls from lawmakers to limit Chinese drone technology in government and critical infrastructure use.
More: New Pentagon memo complicates DJI drone ban reversal
Still, DJI has consistently denied wrongdoing and says it has repeatedly asked US authorities for a product-based security review rather than broad political restrictions. In the latest filing also, DJI reminds the court that no national security agency specifically investigated its products before the FCC action took effect.
What happens next
The Ninth Circuit now must decide whether to dismiss the case, pause it, or allow the challenge to move forward.
If the judges side with DJI procedurally, the company would get a chance to argue the substance of the FCC action in court. If the appeal is thrown out for now, DJI may have to wait for the FCC’s own reconsideration process.
Either way, the numbers in this filing send a clear message: DJI wants the court to understand that this is not a symbolic dispute. It says the cost is already measurable in the billions, and rising.
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