US Moves to Secure Supply Chain for Drones as Chinese Devices Remain Under Scrutiny

The majority of commercial drones sold in the United States are made in China.

A worker produces drones at a factory in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 13, 2023. STR/AFP via Getty Images

The Commerce Department announced on Jan. 2 that it’s considering a new regulation aimed at safeguarding the supply chain for drones from U.S. adversaries, particularly communist China.

The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said in a statement that the proposed rule outlines how the involvement of foreign adversaries in drone supply chains—especially the “acute threats” posed by China and Russia—could allow foreign adversaries to “remotely access and manipulate these devices, exposing sensitive U.S. data.”