On 29 October 2026 the US Federal Communications Commission voted 3–0 to adopt its Third Report and Order on test-lab recognition (FCC 26-73). Equipment authorisation applications received on or after 1 December 2028 must rely on testing, certification and accreditation carried out in the US or in an economy that recognises US labs in return. Grants issued before that date remain valid.
Who is affected
Mainland China has no reciprocal arrangement with the US, so its labs fall outside the new system. Hong Kong and Taiwan stay in on a reciprocal basis. The rule applies to radio-frequency devices generally, including drones, robots, phones and connected consumer electronics. According to Drone Authority's reading of the order, the FCC says fewer than 4% of electronic devices are currently tested in US labs, and Chairman Brendan Carr's chart puts 82.3% of 2025 applications at test firms in China.
Beijing's response
On 30 October China's Ministry of Commerce said it firmly opposes the measure and wants it withdrawn. It said China had repeatedly proposed a mutual recognition agreement, found the US side "extremely passive and negative", and would take further measures if Washington pressed ahead. DroneXL notes that in August China had already put a US test lab, Compliance Testing LLC, on its countermeasure list, and suspended US certification bodies from follow-up factory inspections under China's compulsory certification scheme.
DJI's drones are not directly affected, because foreign-made drones were put on the FCC Covered List in December 2025. Its other products, such as the Osmo camera line, are.
Why it matters financially
The ministry argues that forcing testing to move will raise costs and slow product cycles. One commenter cited by the FCC said mainland labs charge 30–70% less than US labs. Almost every device maker selling into the US will have to move compliance testing within about 25 months. That is a clear opportunity for labs in the US and reciprocal economies such as the UK, EU, Japan and Korea, and it creates a new front in the US–China trade dispute.