When it comes to DJI, we have to start with the work they did on Mount Everest recently. You know, DJI's drone flew to Mount Everest and did something helicopters could not do, which made the European and American countries that boycott DJI a little unable to sit still.
Not bragging, DJI, a company that started in 2006, has become the world's largest drone leader with its own developed flight control system and camera functions. Now the market share accounts for more than 70% of consumer-grade drones, and it is easy to play with agriculture, photography, and logistics.
But in Europe and the United States, various controls have been started in 2017, with the reason being data security and other reasons, but DJI's performance on Mount Everest directly hits their pain points, making people feel that their bans are a bit untenable.
Let's talk about DJI's incident on Mount Everest. In April 2024, DJI's FlyCart 30 drone was tested at the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal, with an altitude of 5,364 meters. Carrying a 3 kg oxygen cylinder and supplies, it flew from the base camp to the 6,000-meter-high C1 camp.
The air is thin and the wind is strong. The helicopter does not lift enough at that altitude, so something is prone to accidents. However, DJI, the guy, completed the task steadily by adjusting the rotor structure and speed and advanced navigation system.
On June 5, DJI officially announced that this is the world's first Mount Everest drone delivery test, and it can carry a load of 15 kilograms across dangerous places. Then, starting from May 22, they began to use this drone to transport garbage on a regular basis, pulling waste from the camp, saving manpower and avoiding climbers' adventures.
In the spring mountain climbing season of 2025, FlyCart 30 was on the battlefield again, helping to transport more than 1,200 kilograms of supplies and garbage, reducing the burden on the Sherpas. This is not only a technical show, but also a practical solution to the problem of high-altitude logistics. The helicopter cannot play there because the oxygen content is low and the engine power cannot keep up.
DJI is so skilled? Their self-developed N3 and A3 control systems, dual sensor backup, and accurate obstacle avoidance. Mavic 3 Pro has three cameras with different focal lengths that adapt to various scenarios.
In agriculture, the T100 and T70 series help survey the fields, saving water and labor. In terms of logistics, FlyCart 30 can carry 30 kilograms of long distances and withstand extreme cold and high temperatures, from -20°C to high temperatures.
Compared with helicopters, drones are cost-effective and do not take risks with human life, and are suitable for small batch accurate delivery. Of course, helicopters have advantages in large-scale transportation and search and rescue, but helicopters are really not comparable to those in extreme environmental applications like DJI. After seeing this, netizens said that DJI is better than helicopters, but in fact they have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it depends on the needs. But the incident of Mount Everest directly proves that China's drones are at the top level in the world.
Now turn to Europe and the United States to boycott this area. Starting from the United States, the Ministry of Commerce began to review DJI's exports in 2017, for fear of data leakage. In 2019, the Ministry of the Interior ordered government departments to ground DJI drones on the grounds that information security was made. In December 2020, DJI entered the entity list and obtained a special license to export components, and the supply chain was affected. In 2022, the Federal Communications Commission banned DJI equipment from connecting to certain networks, saying that it might be spies. In 2023, the Ministry of National Defense blacklisted DJI and banned the military.
In 2024, US Customs detains DJI goods from October to involve relevant Xinjiang bills. Europe also follows the trend. The EU's data protection regulations in 2020 will restrict Chinese drones from flying in sensitive areas. French and German regulators have to assess DJI's security by the public sector, and some contracts have been suspended. The Netherlands and Belgium surveyed DJI in agricultural surveying and mapping. The European Commission issued a guide in 2023, suggesting reducing its dependence on Chinese suppliers. The UK prohibits DJI from flying near certain infrastructure.
DJI didn't sit and was beaten. On October 19, 2024, they sued the US Department of Defense to remove the label of "Chinese Military Company", saying that the Department of Defense used outdated data and there was no evidence. Court documents show that DJI proved that it operates independently, but the Ministry of Defense did not let go. On December 2, DJI changed his lawyer team and continued to sue. On January 13, 2025, DJI updated its geofencing system, removed some flight restrictions in the United States, and cooperated with emergency services. However, Congress passed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, requiring DJI to pass a risk assessment before the end of the year, otherwise it will be a complete ban on sales. Customs seizure continues, affecting dealer inventory. On March 21, DJI appealed again, accusing the Ministry of Defense of unfairness. In the EU, it discusses a unified ban, and Germany and France suspend government procurement. But the EU is more common rules, such as EASA's 2019/947 and 2019/945 regulations. Based on weight classification, drone exceeds 249 grams must be registered, and remote ID must be required. DJI products meet the CE mark and can be sold, but the operating height limit is 120 meters, and are prohibited from sensitive areas.
Why do you say that Europe and the United States are panicked? Because of the performance of DJI Mount Everest, it directly demonstrates China's technological leadership. The helicopter cannot fly at that altitude, but the drone can transport cargo and remove garbage. This is not only a matter of altitude, but also involves battery cold resistance, signal stability, and obstacle avoidance algorithms. European and American companies such as Boeing or local drone factories are technically backward and have high costs. The ban appears to be safe, but in fact it is afraid of competition. The US Congress has pushed the anti-China drone bill, fearing that DJI will dominate the market. Although the EU does not ban it completely, the data regulations indirectly limit DJI. After the Mount Everest incident, there were many media reports, emphasizing the pressure brought by China's progress. Netizens discussed enthusiastically, saying that DJI has embarrassed veteran European and American companies.
This matter has implications. Technology competition is not a zero-sum game. DJI Innovation helps global problems, such as Mount Everest environmental protection. The boycott of Europe and the United States may miss out on good technology. Think about agricultural surveys, the T series helps farmers save labor; in terms of logistics, FlyCart saves time and money. The ban has caused users to suffer, and American Feiyou complained that he could not buy new models. On July 3, 2025, the customs delayed the delivery of goods, and consumers were in a hurry. On July 21, FlyCart transported equipment on Mount Everest to prove its reliability. Europe and the United States are accelerating local development, but it is difficult to catch up in the short term.
Looking in the long run, DJI will transform into smart hardware and launch wireless microphones, panoramic cameras, outdoor power supplies, and sweepers in 2025. Wang Tao has a low profile in managing the company, with a wealth of 35 billion yuan, and continues to innovate. Despite the restrictions, DJI has a stable global share. If Europe and the United States blindly resist, they may damage their competitiveness. The matter of Mount Everest reminds everyone that technology has no borders and good things should be used. Whether the ban is panicked depends on the market. DJI proved that Europe and the United States have to think about how to deal with it, rather than ban it.
