WASHINGTON — The economic and technological rivalry between the United States and… China has come to the drone marketwhere Chinese-made aircraft are a dominant player.
Lawmakers in Washington are trying to stop the new sale of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, argue they could be used to spy on Americans and that the cheap models are hurting the US drone industry.
A defense bill passed by Congress last week would bar new Chinese drones from DJI Technology and Autel Robotics if an assessment found they pose an “unacceptable” risk to U.S. national security.
But American users, from police officers to farmers, mappers and filmmakers, have come to rely on Chinese-made drones, especially those made by DJI.
Here are things you need to know about the debate.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who was selected by President-elect Donald Trump as U.N. ambassador, led House efforts to ban new Chinese drones, because the Americans have become too dependent on them.
“It is strategically irresponsible to let communist China be our drone factory,” she argued.
It was the role of drones in everyday life that prompted Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to push Congress to restrict the purchase of Chinese drones by federal agencies. Those restrictions were included in a bill that Democratic President Joe Biden signed last year.
Scott has compared Chinese drones to spy balloons that can “collect data or carry harmful payloads” across America, posing risks to military bases, critical infrastructure and natural resources.
DJI, mentioned in the bill, is the best-known Chinese drone brand. The company has the lion’s share of the global drone market and is a dominant player in the US market. The drones have been used by first responders to locate disaster victims, by mappers to inspect roads and utility lines, by mosquito control personnel to reach swarms of larvae and by filmmakers to capture aerial footage.
Founded in 2006 and based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, DJI makes devices known for their affordability and high performance. They are even used on the battlefield in Ukraine by both sides, even though DJI does not make military drones.
As US-China relations deteriorate, DJI drones have come under scrutiny. The US government has placed the company on several blacklists, citing human rights concerns and alleged ties to the Chinese military. DJI has denied all wrongdoing and is suing the Pentagon over its designation as a Chinese military company.
U.S. customs officials have also blocked some DJI shipments over concerns the products may have been made with forced labor. DJI calls it “a customs-related misunderstanding.”
DJI has also raised concerns about the review of Chinese drones included in the defense law, saying it leaves the company unable to defend itself. It called for “a fair right of reply to any findings.”
Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizer on his corn, bean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional soil spreader. A drone spreader costs $35,000, while a ground sprayer would cost $250,000, he said.
As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby food to those stranded – something he did after Hurricane Helene.
“I’m not going to say I wouldn’t like to have American drones, but I don’t see the American drones being anywhere near the DJI drones in terms of reliability, ease of use and just the user-friendly software. Hedrick said. “The American drones are not as good as DJI’s, but they cost twice as much.”
At the Department of the Interior, the ban on foreign-made drones has resulted in a “loss of opportunities to collect data on landscape, natural and cultural resources, wildlife, and infrastructure,” according to a September report from the Government Accountability Office.
Michael Robbins, president and CEO of AUVSI, an advocacy group for unmanned vehicles such as drones, argues against an immediate ban. Instead, the group has urged the government to support the domestic drone industry through investment so it can catch up with its Chinese competitors in both capacity and costs.
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