(ECNS) — DJI, a leading Chinese drone manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it had filed an appeal with a U.S. federal appellate court, challenging a District of Columbia ruling that upheld its inclusion on the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)'s list of "Chinese military companies," Global Times reported.
DJI said it sued the DoD in October 2024 over the issue. While the court rejected most of the DoD's key allegations as unsubstantiated, it nevertheless decided to maintain DJI's listing based on what the company described as "arbitrary reasoning."
DJI stated that it "disagrees with and cannot accept" the ruling and has formally appealed to defend its reputation and legitimate interests. "DJI firmly opposes the use of its products and technologies for any military or warfare purposes and has taken comprehensive measures to prevent misuse," the company said.
The U.S. DoD first added DJI to the CMC list in 2022 without providing an explanation or evidence. Since then, DJI has repeatedly sought clarification and supporting documentation from the department but received no substantive response.
In January 2024, the DoD reaffirmed DJI's inclusion on the list. Later that year, DJI filed a lawsuit against the DoD, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Laura Taylor-Kale, challenging the decision in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
In September 2025, the court found that most of the Defense Department's accusations against DJI were not supported by sufficient evidence. However, it still decided to keep DJI on the list, reasoning that the company's certification as a "National Enterprise Technology Center" from China's National Development and Reform Commission showed that its technologies could have potential dual-use applications.
DJI's latest appeal, filed on Oct. 14, seeks to overturn that decision.
(By Evelyn)
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