WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Askume) – The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Monday to ban new drones from Chinese drone maker DJI Innovation from operating in the United States, one of a series of measures against China that lawmakers are considering this week.
The bill, which still needs US Senate approval to become law, would ban the company’s products from operating on US communications infrastructure. It would not prevent existing DJI drones from operating in the United States.
Lawmakers have repeatedly raised concerns that DJI drones pose a threat to national security, which the company denies.
“With this action, Congress will ensure that future versions of DJI drones cannot be imported, sold, or resold in the United States,” said Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
DJI, which accounts for more than half of U.S. drone sales, opposed the bill, saying it “restricts the ability of U.S. drone operators to purchase and use equipment appropriate for their job based solely on the equipment’s country of origin.”
The US Congress has voted several times to impose new restrictions on Chinese technology, and in April voted to give China’s Bytedance until January 19 to divest and sell its TikTok US assets.
Another bill approved on Monday would ban the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries from six Chinese companies, including CATL (300750.SZ) .
Another bill passed aimed at preventing China from invading or imposing a blockade on Taiwan includes a bill that would freeze the assets of China’s top leaders and cut them and their families off from the US financial system if Beijing takes action against Taiwan.
The US House of Representatives is also expected to vote later this week on tightening rules to ban tax credits for US electric vehicles with Chinese content.
In January, new rules limiting the sugar content in batteries eligible for electric vehicle tax credits took effect . The House bill would make those restrictions even stricter.
With less than two months until the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, it is unclear whether any sugar laws will become law this year.
