What happened
A US Federal Communications Commission final rule took effect on 13 October 2026. It closes what the Commission calls a "component-part loophole" in its equipment authorisation programme. Under the rule, the FCC will not authorise a device containing logic-bearing hardware components made by an entity on its Covered List, if the device would have been barred had that entity made the whole thing.
The rule, the FCC's Third Report and Order in ET Docket 21-232, was published in the Federal Register on 11 September. It also:
- requires full certification for any modification or permissive change made by a Covered List entity;
- confirms that the marketing rules apply to any entity, including online marketplaces, that markets unauthorised equipment;
- requires online marketplaces, with limited exceptions, to show a device's FCC ID at the point of sale.
Why drones are in the spotlight
In December 2025 the FCC added uncrewed aircraft systems and UAS critical components "produced in a foreign country" to the Covered List. Its guidance says flight controllers, data links, navigation systems, cameras, sensors, batteries and motors all count as critical components. Exemptions are available for products on the Pentagon's Blue UAS Cleared List and for "domestic end products" under the Buy American standard, and both run for limited periods. Drones that already have FCC authorisation can still be sold and used.
The new component rule makes it harder to get round those limits by building a finished product from restricted parts.
Why it matters financially
Most electronic devices need FCC authorisation before they can be imported or sold in the US. Manufacturers that rely on parts from Covered List suppliers now face redesign, re-sourcing or exclusion from the American market for new models. Online marketplaces take on new display and enforcement duties. The FCC has not given an overall cost figure, but drone makers, component suppliers and marketplaces are the ones most directly affected.