DJI fights back: Sues U.S. defense over military blacklist
The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has sued the U.S. Department of Defense for "erroneously" placing the company on the blacklist of entities suspected of cooperating with Beijing's military, AFP reported on Saturday.
8:48 AM EDT, October 19, 2024
On October 18, DJI filed a lawsuit to challenge the Department of Defense's erroneous classification of the company as a "Chinese military company," according to a statement from DJI.
The company was placed on the Pentagon's blacklist in 2022.
Not owned by the Chinese military
In the lawsuit, DJI claims that due to the Department of Defense's "unlawful and misguided decision," it "lost business deals, been stigmatized as a national security threat, and been banned from contracting with multiple federal government agencies." It added that the company "is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military."
DJI was previously placed on the U.S. Treasury Department's blacklist in 2021 for allegedly supporting surveillance of the Uyghur minority in China's Xinjiang region.
US halted imports
Reuters reported on Wednesday that U.S. customs services halted importing some DJI drone parts into the United States, citing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. DJI claims that no forced labor is used at any stage of its production.
In April 2022, the Chinese manufacturer announced the suspension of sales of its devices to Russia to prevent its drones from being used on the front in Ukraine. Authorities in Kyiv accused the company of sharing data regarding the Ukrainian military with Russians.
Founded in 2006, DJI Technology Co. is the world's largest producer of consumer drones and also holds a significant share in the global production of higher-end unmanned aerial vehicles.
