January 9, 2026, 6:28 AM EST. WASHINGTON - The FCC issued a public notice carving out exemptions from its post-ban regime for certain imported drones and drone components through the end of 2026, following a second national security finding by the Department of War. The move narrows the scope of the broader foreign-drone crackdown, reaffirming that new approvals remain restricted while existing devices stay usable. The January 7 determination identified two categories that should not stay on the Covered List: uncrewed aircraft systems and components on the Blue UAS Cleared List, and those that qualify as domestic end products under Buy American. Firms with ties to U.S. government programs-Parrot, Teledyne FLIR, Neros Technologies, Wingtra, Auterion, ModalAI, Zepher Flight Labs, AeroVironment-could continue imports. Critical components from Nvidia, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, ModalAI, ARK Electronics are also listed. The exemptions matter for operators and manufacturers navigating next steps.
