A hot potato: DJI's Neo 2 drone has launched around the world following its earlier release in China. But one country it won't be officially available is the US. The device is the latest from DJI to avoid the United States as the company faces being banned in the country.
In July, DJI blamed the US Customs and Border Protection for withholding its imported goods over accusations that the company violates the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which DJI denies.
The situation means the Mavic 4 Pro and the 8K Osmo 360 camera haven't been available in the US, and neither will be the Neo 2 selfie drone.
Things could get even worse for DJI. Under the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a US national-security agency must complete a full audit of DJI's products by December 23, 2025; if it fails to do so, DJI will automatically be added to the FCC "Covered List", which would effectively prohibit the import or sale of new DJI wireless-equipped products in the United States, which is pretty much everything it sells.
In October, the FCC voted 3-0 in favor of closing "loopholes" in its Covered List that had allowed items deemed a national security risk to be sold in the US. If DJI is designated a national-security risk, not only will future devices be barred, but the FCC can also block devices that have already been certified or sold, as well as subsidiaries, affiliates, or shell companies of DJI.
At the same time, the US Department of Commerce has signaled moves to restrict the import of Chinese-manufactured drones and components. The agency cities capture of data, secure communications concerns and supply-chain risks as the reasons.
DJI expects the worse. It wrote on Instagram this week that it could be banned in the US as the deadline for the audit was approaching, but it has never been formally assigned to any US agency in the NDAA bill and no agency has taken responsibility despite DJI's constant requests. Even if an agency started the audit now, it's unlikely that it would be completed within the six-week deadline.
Those able to buy the Neo 2 will find a lidar-based obstacle avoidance system, a following speed of almost 27mph, a gesture control system, and better wind resistance. The drone weighs 151 grams, can fly for 19 minutes, and is priced at the equivalent of $209 - $248 in other countries.
DJI Neo 2 drone skips the US as a December nationwide ban looks increasingly likely
