Beijing is banning the sale of drones even as the rest of the world is buying Chinese drones

However, some Chinese drone users have complained on social media about the tightening of drone laws and local police enforcement that is so strict that it bans many requests for drone flights. The New York Times asked Beijing residents who reported receiving calls from the police shortly after flying their drones, or being visited at home by police asking about drones that hadn’t flown in years.

Such “excessive enforcement” risks creating problems for Chinese drone operators that slow down sales, according to The New York Times. The publication also reported drone sellers telling Chinese media of declining sales in recent months, even as used listings are rising.

In the grand scheme of things, Beijing’s new ban on drone sales within the city shouldn’t significantly affect the sales of DJI, the Shenzhen-based drone maker that is among them. 70 and 80 percent share the global market for commercial drones.

“Financially, the direct impact of large companies like DJI should be limited because Beijing is a small part of the demand, and this is not about destroying the drone industry but about controlling the technology that is coming,” Lee told Ars. “Instead, I think we’re going to see clear, consistent regulations that can bring about a predictable, fast-growing industry.”

But Chinese drone maker DJI is facing a serious business crisis in the United States, where DJI drones count. many operational drones in the world’s largest commercial drone market. On December 22, 2025, a The Federal Communications Commission ordered it that it will no longer allow the sale of foreign-made drones—blocking Americans from purchasing new DJI drone models going forward. DJI made an appeal by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year.