U.S. Customs blocks some Chinese DJI drones suspected of being involved in forced labor in Xinjiang

On October 1st, a group of U.S. Congress members jointly introduced the “American Security Drone Act,” which seeks to prohibit the U.S. government from procuring drones manufactured in China. This comes as DJI, a major Chinese drone manufacturer, reported to Reuters on October 16th that the U.S. government is halting the entry of some DJI drones into the country.

According to a previously undisclosed letter obtained by Reuters, DJI notified its dealers that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is detaining some drones for allegedly violating the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act” (UFLPA).

DJI emphasized that over half of the drones in the U.S. are produced by them and insisted that their manufacturing process does not involve forced labor. The company stated that they are supplying relevant documentation to U.S. customs to prove compliance with the UFLPA.

In their letter, DJI claimed that the actions of U.S. Customs appear to be part of a broader review by the Department of Homeland Security regarding the sourcing of products, particularly targeting drones made in China.

The letter described the accusations as “baseless nonsense” and pointed out that the law allows authorities to detain goods without any substantial evidence.

U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly expressed concerns that DJI drones could pose risks related to data transmission, surveillance, and national security, allegations that DJI has denied.

As for the request for comments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond immediately.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act took effect in June 2022, aiming to combat what the U.S. government describes as forced labor affecting the Uyghur people and other Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang region. It bans the importation of goods that are wholly or partially produced in Xinjiang or by specific entities associated with this issue.