DJI Ban Fuels Demand for U.S.-Made and Non-Chinese Drones

The National Defense Authorization Act NDAA, a U.S. law that sets policy and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense, could ban all new DJI drones if a required security audit is not successfully completed by December 23, 2025. The company will be placed on the FCC’s covered  list and will prevent the import and purchase of any DJI drones.

Recently the FCC has gained authority to retroactively revoke licenses for registered equipment. The FCC has stated they will not deactivate or confiscate previously purchased consumer drones.

As a result of recent developments, many certified commercial drone pilots are now seeking alternatives. Through executive orders, the U.S. government has directed spending and policy decisions to prioritize drones that are either made in the U.S. or manufactured outside of China.

During my research I found that the Chinese drone manufactures have a high market share of the affordable entry level United States drone industry. 

With that in mind, we’ve researched budget-friendly, entry-level drones suitable for both commercial pilots and hobbyists that are either not manufactured in China or have not been flagged as non-compliant by the U.S. NDAA.

The following drones are available on Amazon at discounted prices as part of the Black Friday deals!

Top 3 Non-Chinese Drone Manufacturers

Parrot

📍 Paris, France 

🚁  Anafi Work – 4K Drone (Shop) 

🏷  $999

📓All Components are manufactured in France and assembled in the United States

Ruko 

📍 San Jose, CA

🚁  F11PRO 2 Drone with 6K Camera(Shop) 

🏷  $319

📓 While the hardware is designed in the U.S. by an American company, Roku devices and their components are manufactured and assembled in China

Holy Stone

📍Taipei, Taiwan,

🚁  HS790 GPS 6K Camera Drone (Shop) 

🏷  $350

📓 Holy Stone sources its products from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like SJRC and MJX, which are Chinese companies.