Chinese drone maker DJI gets another shot at Pentagon blacklist removal

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently ruled that Chinese drone manufacturer DJI can challenge its inclusion on the Pentagon's blacklist of companies allegedly linked to the Chinese military. DJI, based in Shenzhen, has been embroiled in a prolonged legal battle with the US Department of Defense to be removed from the list.

While the appeal court did not remove DJI from the list, it sent the case back to the lower court to reconsider one aspect of the Pentagon's justification for designating the company. The court rejected three of DJI's four arguments, including claims of due process violations and insufficient evidence to prove DJI received assistance from the Chinese government.

However, the court agreed DJI should be allowed to contest an assertion that the Pentagon made of DJI's contribution to China's defense industrial base. This finding, made without examining classified evidence, could now be reevaluated by the lower court. The Pentagon declined to comment on the ruling, and DJI has not yet responded to media inquiries.

The company maintains it has no ties to the Chinese military. DJI was first placed on the Pentagon's list of Chinese military companies in 2022, and it has since petitioned and sued for delisting. In 2025, a lower court sided with the Pentagon, leading to Friday's appeal. The case highlights the tensions surrounding China's dominance in the global drone market, which has raised concerns about US reliance on Chinese-made drones.

In recent years, the US has increasingly treated drones as essential military infrastructure, with the Trump administration launching an executive order in 2025 to boost American drone capabilities. Other Chinese companies, such as biotech firm WuXi AppTec and e-commerce giant Alibaba, have also faced similar legal challenges over their inclusion on the Pentagon's blacklist.