Drone leader Chinese company DJI this morning announced a new drone in their economical but powerful “mini” drone lineup, the “Mini 5 Pro”. Speculation and rumors about this product have been circulating online for many months, and on Monday the world got to see a short video tease telling that today at 8 am Eastern Time there would be an announcement. That is, unless you were in the USA, since accessing the DJI site from here, unlike the rest of the world, would not show that tease.

Because once again the administration and our bipartisan tech morons of Congress have forced DJI into the position of not officially making the new drone available here at all, as happened with a larger, more expensive new drone in their lineup recently.

The confluence of the insane self-imposed injuries of oppressive tariffs that must be paid by American consumers, bizarre customs blockages, and legislative and executive branch actions to target Chinese drone makers in general and DJI in particular, are turning us into a laughingstock when it comes to this important tech.

Law enforcement, search and rescue, and other public safety organizations depend on these (normally) easily accessible drones, and it is likely that lives and property will be lost by their being cut out from this new drone, which brings for the first time a larger one inch camera sensor, and LIDAR for advanced obstacle avoidance and the ability to “return to home” in many well-lit environments even if GPS satellite signals are lost.

The U.S.’s claims of security concerns regarding DJI drones have never to been shown to be reality. The rest of the world, including U.S. allies, apparently don’t have these fake concerns — so their citizens will get the benefit of this new drone, while we’re at the mercy of ever more bipartisan political stupidity.

The Mini 5 Pro actually is authorized to be flown in the U.S. and will likely will be the last DJI drone for the foreseeable future to receive such approval, given the various restrictions that I’ve previously discussed in detail already in the pipeline, including one triggered at the end of this year, absent drastic last minute changes.

Are there any ways for U.S. residents to get hold of the Mini 5 Pro? Since DJI is not officially releasing the product in the U.S., that leaves the gray market (domestic and international) with all the associated risks associated with potentially drastically elevated pricing, lack of manufacturer warranties, and possible problems ever getting repairs. Some U.S. residents are reportedly already planning trips to Canada or Mexico to obtain these drones and then deal with our nightmare borders import mess to bring them back into the U.S.

Frankly, our country is being humiliated by so many pathetic leaders, especially when it comes to tech. And this is but the latest example.

–Lauren–