The bizarre reason why it’s so hard to get your hands on the DJI Air 3S

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of DJI’s Air 3S in the U.S., you may have noticed it’s been unusually difficult to get your hands on this drone. For now, it’s available on DJI.com. But for customers seeking to shop from a third-party, say, Amazon (which is a popular pick, particularly for Amazon Prime members who can get an additional 5% back by paying with their Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card), it’s made for a tough dilemma.

Order the DJI Air 3S directly from DJI? Wait it out and buy from a trusted third-party? And if that second choice, how long will the wait be?

Here’s the low-down on the holdup with the DJI Air 3S shipping – and the rather odd reason behind it.

While DJI dominates the American consumer drone industry, recent issues with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have made it increasingly difficult for consumers to get their hands on DJI drones. Most notable among them? The Air 3S, which DJI announced earlier this week to much anticipation (and subsequent disappointed from people who wanted to buy it from their favorite retailers on day 1).

So what are the reasons for these delays? It’s a mix of complex geopolitical tensions and U.S. legislative action.

The UFLPA

At the center of the issue is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The law, passed in 2021, was designed to prevent products made with forced labor from entering the U.S. market. The UFLPA als presumes that goods sourced from China’s Xinjiang region (where the U.S. alleges widespread forced labor abuses) are essentially “guilty” unless proven otherwise. And with it, the law gives the CBP wide authority to withhold products at the border. That’s even if there’s no hard evidence — merely suspicion of involvement with forced labor.

And it’s that very law that U.S. customs has cited as the reason for holding up imports of select DJI drones, including the Air 3S. That’s according to a post on DJI’s own blog, as well as corroborated by letters sent to DJI authorized distributors.

In the DJI blog post, the Chinese-based company said that the CBP is scrutinizing the company’s compliance with the UFLPA. Though, DJI also firmly rejected any claims of forced labor in its supply chain. DJI says that it has no operations in Xinjiang (the region targeted by the UFLPA) neither in terms of manufacturing nor in terms of sourcing materials. DJI says its manufacturing is based in Shenzhen (that’s also where the DJI headquarters are) as well as Malaysia.

Are DJI drones responsibly made?

According to DJI, the company adheres to both U.S. law and international labor and manufacturing standards. That includes adherence to Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. §1307), which prohibits importing any product that was created either wholly or in part by forced labor. It also includes adherence to 22 U.S.C. §6901, which specifically applies to products made in China.

DJI also holds the ISO 45001 certification, which is a worldwide, international standard for occupational health and safety.

Sure, we haven’t verified every minutia of DJI’s supply change. But, the company says its top U.S. retailers do conduct rigorous due diligence audits.

Related read: What’s it like being a Chinese drone company right now?

What about other calls to ban DJI drones?

The news comes at a time that feels not coincidental. Because while DJI is in the midst of these customs issues, broader U.S. government efforts to curb the use of Chinese drones are also intensifying.

Just last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar new DJI drones from being used by federal agencies, citing concerns over data privacy, surveillance, and national security. That’s H.R. 2864, the Countering CCP Drones Act. That would add DJI too the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List, in turn prohibiting new models of DJI drones from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure.

The bill is now awaiting action in the Senate, where it could be added to the Senate version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Read more: What happens if Congress bans DJI drones?

Though, that bill doesn’t have anything to do with labor practices, but rather fears about data security.

“I am proud to have advanced legislation this week to combat unfair Communist Chinese trade practices, prevent Communist Chinese drones from undermining our national security, defend our service members in the Indo-Pacific, and boost U.S. manufacturing,” said New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who sponsored the bill. “House Republicans are unified in protecting U.S. national security and curbing Communist China’s malign global aspirations.”

What this means for DJI — and pilots who want new DJI drones like the DJI Air 3S

So, what does this all mean for drone hobbyists eager to fly the DJI Air 3S? For now, it’s a waiting game. DJI is currently working with the CBP to resolve the customs issues. But, the combination of regulatory scrutiny and potential legislative actions adds a layer of uncertainty to the future availability of DJI products in the U.S.

While DJI’s blog post implies it will eventually prove its compliance with the UFLPA, the delays reflect broader tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly in the tech sector. The new DJI Air 3S drone is just one casualty of this increasingly complex trade and political landscape.

Related read: DJI Air 3 vs. DJI Air 3S: is it worth the upgrade?