DJI sues FCC as US drone pilots condemn import ban

Chinese drone maker DJI has filed a lawsuit challenging a decision by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to block imports of all of its new models and critical components, the company confirmed on Wednesday.

The world's largest drone maker said in a statement that the FCC placed DJI on the "Covered List" without providing any substantive evidence that its products pose a threat to US national security.

"The decision carelessly restricts DJI’s business in the US and summarily denies US customers access to its latest technology," the company said.

The FCC announced in December last year that it had barred imports of all new models of foreign-made drones and critical components, including those from China's DJI and Autel, claiming that they pose so-called risks to US national security.

A report by The Wall Street Journal said the ban has been met with uproar from large swaths of the nearly half a million certified American commercial drone pilots.

Many pilots are reportedly hoarding DJI drones and spare parts, sending last-ditch letters to Congressional representatives and the White House, and forecasting the demise of their livelihoods that rely on China-made drones for which they say there is no Western replacement, the report said.