DJI has unleashed what could be its most significant update to the Mini series yet by adding a one-inch sensor to the lightweight quadcopter – but would-be drone pilots in the US may be out of luck on DJI Mini 5 Pro pre-orders.
DJI announced the Mini 5 Pro on September 17, but at the very bottom of the press release announcing the new 50MP drone, the fine print reads: “Not available officially in the U.S. market on official websites.”
Launching a new drone but excluding the US market may not come entirely as a surprise. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro launched in May, but the 100MP drone still isn’t available on DJI’s US webstore. While some retailers listed pre-orders, stock didn’t appear to reach the US, and Amazon US lists the drone as out of stock.
DJI declined to comment specifically on the lack of US pre-orders for the DJI Mini 5 Pro, but pointed to previous statements on US drone availability being impacted by a "customs misunderstanding."
"There were many considerations that factored into our market strategy, and [we] are unable to comment specifically on the customs-related misunderstanding as this is a developing situation." A DJI spokesperson told Digital Camera World.
A "customs-related misunderstanding" is to blame for the lack of DJI Mini 5 Pro pre-orders in the US
While there is a potential DJI ban looming, drones have been out of stock at DJI’s US webstore for months – and the company said a customs misunderstanding is to blame.
Back in July, a DJI representative told Digital Camera World the reason behind the lack of availability: “DJI remains committed to the US market. As we’ve previously shared, DJI has been working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to resolve a customs-related misunderstanding. Unfortunately, this has impacted our ability to stock and import drones. We understand the frustration among our customers, but remain hopeful that this will be resolved.”
A detailed blog post from DJI offers more insight into what, exactly, that misunderstanding is – it's tied to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Law, which requires US Customs to assume that products made in Xinjiang, China are made using forced labor. DJI says it does not manufacture any products nor source materials from that region.
"To be clear: this is a customs matter and the evidence clearly demonstrates DJI’s compliance with existing laws," DJI wrote. "It is important to note that this is not a ban and does not appear to be linked to the proposed legislation against DJI in the U.S. Congress."
A potential DJI drone ban could still happen at the end of 2025
The proposed DJI ban that was tossed around in US legislation last year didn’t pass, but similar legislation followed that required China-based drone brands, including DJI, to pass a security review before the end of 2025. The legislation places an automatic ban on DJI if the deadline passes without passing a security review, but DJI says that stock availability is not related to that security review legislation.
DJI has repeatedly expressed concern that the security review hasn’t started yet, highlighting the fact that the legislation didn’t specifically name someone to complete the review and failed to spell out what would happen if the review process didn’t even start before the deadline.
DJI says that, as far as the company is aware, no action has yet been taken on the mandated risk assessment.
“Without a credible process, there is a real risk that new DJI drones would be prevented from entering the U.S. market – not because of any proven risk, but simply due to compressed timelines or politically motivated decisions,” the company wrote back in July.
As an American drone pilot with an aging DJI Mini 2, the lack of stock, failure to bring new models to the US, and impending drone ban are highly concerning. I don’t update my drone every year, and it’s getting time for an upgrade, but I can’t buy the DJI Mini 5 Pro. I’m getting a bit afraid to fly and crash because getting a replacement doesn’t seem to be very easy at the moment.
Some retailers still have stock of older models, but the DJI Mini 4 Pro is listed on Adorama right now for more than $200 higher than the original list price.
Searches suggest I’m not alone. Data from Google Trends show a spike among US users the morning of the DJI Mini 5 Pro launch, searching for terms like “DJI Canada,” “DJI Mexico,” and “Best Buy Canada.” It’s unclear if that “customs misunderstanding” impacts visitors traveling across the border or individual shipments.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with an official statement from a DJI representative.
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