Getting your hands on the brand new DJI Air 3S – which we gave four and a half stars in our DJI Air 3S review – could be trickier than expected, as the company is having trouble importing its latest drone to the US. For the time being, it may only be possible to purchase the drone DJI.com directly, not through third party stores.
This has nothing to do with the ban bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. Instead, DJI claims this is because the Department of Homeland Security mistakenly believes the drones were produced in forced labor camps and is blocking the drones using the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (via The edge)
In a letter it sent to distributors – which was shared on social media – DJI refutes these allegations, saying: “DJI strongly affirms that there is no forced labor at any stage of our manufacturing process.
“Our company does not have and never has any manufacturing facilities in China’s Xinjiang province, nor do we source materials from that region. All our production is located in Shenzhen, where our company is headquartered, or in Malaysia.”
In response to a message on his official blog DJI says it has all the evidence needed to clear up this “misunderstanding” and prove that it does not make its drones in China’s Xinjiang region.
Until the issue is resolved, however, it will be harder for US companies to get their hands on DJI’s business and agricultural drones, and for regular people to get their hands on the DJI Air 3S – at least at retailers other than DJI itself.
The first ban of many?
Even if this existing problem is resolved, DJI’s future in the US will remain uncertain.
The broader US import ban is still looming, and while it has yet to pass the Senate, it appears it is a matter of when, not if, unless there is a major change in attitude within the US government.
While it appears the ban will only affect imports, as it’s currently written, so if a DJI drone catches your eye, you should still consider grabbing it – as already approved models won’t be permanently grounded will be held even if a ban is passed.
So consider this DJI Air 3S release as a taste of what is unfortunately likely to come from the world’s best drone manufacturer in the coming months and years.