[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":325},["ShallowReactive",2],{"en-post-spray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026":3,"en-related-spray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026":289},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":269,"date":270,"description":271,"draft":272,"extension":273,"image":274,"meta":275,"navigation":276,"path":277,"seo":278,"slug":279,"stem":280,"tags":281,"translation_slug":262,"updated":287,"__hash__":288},"en_posts\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fspray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026.md","Spray Drone Sales Fell 59% as FCC Ban Looms (2026)","Lucas Buzzo",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":261},"minimark",[10,14,17,20,25,36,39,120,126,128,132,140,143,153,160,162,166,174,182,184,188,191,221,228,230,234,236],[11,12,13],"p",{},"US sales of new agricultural spray drones fell 59% in 2025, from about 8,950 units to about 3,700, according to the American Spray Drone Coalition (ASDC). The group is now asking the FCC to exempt FAA Part 137 spray drones from a proposed ban on foreign \"military-grade\" drones and to allow two years of spare-parts imports. The FCC has not adopted the proposal as of October 21, 2026.",[11,15,16],{},"The numbers come from a trade group with a stake in the outcome, so treat them as industry estimates, not government records. Even so, they show how much regulatory uncertainty is already reshaping the US spray drone market.",[18,19],"hr",{},[21,22,24],"h2",{"id":23},"background-why-did-spray-drone-sales-fall-59","Background: Why Did Spray Drone Sales Fall 59%?",[11,26,27,28,35],{},"The ASDC blames a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hold on DJI shipments that began in October 2024 under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. DJI has called the forced-labor claims behind the hold false. According to ",[29,30,34],"a",{"href":31,"rel":32},"https:\u002F\u002Fdronexl.co\u002F2026\u002F10\u002F21\u002Fspray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-asdc-fcc-part-137-carve-out\u002F",[33],"nofollow","DroneXL's report",", ASDC president Eric Ringer said the drop \"was not because of a lack of demand.\"",[11,37,38],{},"Demand did not disappear. The same ASDC survey found that drone-sprayed acreage still rose almost 59% in 2025, to more than 16 million acres. The FAA's count of approved Part 137 operators rose 58.3% to 1,710, and the average price per sprayed acre reportedly fell from $21 to $13.",[40,41,42,61],"table",{},[43,44,45],"thead",{},[46,47,48,52,55,58],"tr",{},[49,50,51],"th",{},"Metric",[49,53,54],{},"2024",[49,56,57],{},"2025",[49,59,60],{},"Change",[62,63,64,79,93,106],"tbody",{},[46,65,66,70,73,76],{},[67,68,69],"td",{},"New spray drones sold (US)",[67,71,72],{},"~8,950",[67,74,75],{},"~3,700",[67,77,78],{},"-59%",[46,80,81,84,87,90],{},[67,82,83],{},"Acres sprayed by drone",[67,85,86],{},"n\u002Fa",[67,88,89],{},"16M+",[67,91,92],{},"+~59%",[46,94,95,98,100,103],{},[67,96,97],{},"Approved Part 137 operators",[67,99,86],{},[67,101,102],{},"1,710",[67,104,105],{},"+58.3%",[46,107,108,111,114,117],{},[67,109,110],{},"Avg. price per sprayed acre",[67,112,113],{},"$21",[67,115,116],{},"$13",[67,118,119],{},"-38%",[11,121,122],{},[123,124,125],"em",{},"Source: American Spray Drone Coalition 2025 Impact Survey, as reported by DroneXL. The survey polled Part 137 certificate holders and may not represent the whole market.",[18,127],{},[21,129,131],{"id":130},"what-is-the-fcc-proposing-for-spray-drones","What Is the FCC Proposing for Spray Drones?",[11,133,134,135,139],{},"The FCC's July 2026 proposal (PS Docket 26-189) would ban imports and sales of foreign-made drones it classifies as military-grade. The list includes drones that can dispense \"economic poison,\" which would cover foreign-made Part 137 spray drones. We covered the ",[29,136,138],{"href":137},"\u002Ffcc-drone-ban-comments-opposition-2026\u002F","public comment results",", where 98.6% of readable filings opposed the rule as written.",[11,141,142],{},"The coalition's filing asks the FCC to:",[144,145,146,150],"ul",{},[147,148,149],"li",{},"Exclude Part 137 agricultural spray drones from the military-grade definition.",[147,151,152],{},"Allow two years of spare-parts imports so existing fleets can keep flying.",[11,154,155,159],{},[156,157,158],"strong",{},"Part 137"," is the FAA regulation covering agricultural aircraft operations, including drones that dispense pesticides, fertilizers, or seed. Spray drones above 55 pounds also need a separate FAA exemption under Section 44807.",[18,161],{},[21,163,165],{"id":164},"other-regulatory-signals-this-week","Other Regulatory Signals This Week",[11,167,168,169,173],{},"The FCC also added Department of War letters to the records of DJI and Autel Robotics in an October 14 public notice, saying it did not rely on them when it placed foreign-made drones on the Covered List in December 2025. We explained the filing in our ",[29,170,172],{"href":171},"\u002Ffcc-pentagon-dji-sealed-letters-section-1709-2026\u002F","sealed Pentagon letters report",".",[11,175,176,177,181],{},"Separately, DJI's final support date for the Phantom 4 Pro V2 is October 31, 2026. See our ",[29,178,180],{"href":179},"\u002Fdji-phantom-4-pro-v2-end-of-service-2026\u002F","end-of-service guide"," for what changes.",[18,183],{},[21,185,187],{"id":186},"what-this-means-for-drone-pilots-and-spray-operators","What This Means for Drone Pilots and Spray Operators",[11,189,190],{},"If you operate a spray drone under Part 137, nothing changes today: the FCC proposal is not final, and your existing aircraft remain legal to fly. The risk is on the supply side, including new aircraft, batteries, and replacement parts.",[144,192,193,204,210],{},[147,194,195,198,199,203],{},[156,196,197],{},"Buyers:"," Expect limited inventory and volatile pricing on DJI Agras models while the CBP hold and FCC decision stay unresolved. Our ",[29,200,202],{"href":201},"\u002Fdji-agras-t55-t100-launch\u002F","Agras T55 and T100 report"," explains why those models are hard to get in the US.",[147,205,206,209],{},[156,207,208],{},"Operators:"," Stock critical spare parts now, and document your Part 137 operations in case you file comments or seek exemptions.",[147,211,212,215,216,220],{},[156,213,214],{},"Newcomers:"," Read our ",[29,217,219],{"href":218},"\u002Fagricultural-drone-guide\u002F","agricultural drone guide"," for certification and cost basics before buying.",[11,222,223,224,173],{},"For the broader picture, see ",[29,225,227],{"href":226},"\u002Fis-dji-banned-in-the-us\u002F","is DJI banned in the US",[18,229],{},[231,232],"faq",{":items":233},"[{\"question\":\"How much did US spray drone sales fall in 2025?\",\"answer\":\"The American Spray Drone Coalition estimates new US spray drone sales fell 59% in 2025, from about 8,950 units in 2024 to about 3,700. These are industry estimates, not government records, and the group blames a CBP hold on DJI shipments.\"},{\"question\":\"Will the FCC ban spray drones?\",\"answer\":\"Not yet. The FCC's July 2026 proposal would ban foreign military-grade drones, including those that dispense economic poison. As of October 21, 2026, the FCC had not adopted it, and the coalition is asking for a Part 137 exemption.\"},{\"question\":\"Can I still fly my DJI spray drone in the US?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. The FCC proposal would restrict future imports and sales, not flights of aircraft you already own. Operators must still hold Part 137 authorization and, for drones over 55 pounds, an FAA Section 44807 exemption.\"}]",[18,235],{},[11,237,238],{},[123,239,240,241,245,246,245,251,245,256],{},"Sources: ",[29,242,244],{"href":31,"rel":243},[33],"DroneXL, Oct. 21, 2026"," | ",[29,247,250],{"href":248,"rel":249},"https:\u002F\u002Fdronexl.co\u002F2026\u002F10\u002F23\u002Fspray-drone-fcc-carve-out-pentagon-letters-phantom-4-pro-v2-westborough\u002F",[33],"DroneXL weekly roundup, Oct. 23, 2026",[29,252,255],{"href":253,"rel":254},"https:\u002F\u002Famericanspraydronecoalition.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F01\u002F2025-ASDC-Impact-Survey-Results.pdf",[33],"ASDC 2025 Impact Survey",[29,257,260],{"href":258,"rel":259},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.faa.gov\u002Fuas\u002Fadvanced_operations\u002Fdispensing_chemicals",[33],"FAA: Dispensing Chemicals with UAS",{"title":262,"searchDepth":263,"depth":263,"links":264},"",2,[265,266,267,268],{"id":23,"depth":263,"text":24},{"id":130,"depth":263,"text":131},{"id":164,"depth":263,"text":165},{"id":186,"depth":263,"text":187},"news","2026-10-24","US spray drone sales fell 59% in 2025, the American Spray Drone Coalition says, and it wants the FCC to exempt Part 137 drones from its ban. What it means.",false,"md","\u002Fimages\u002Fdji-agras-t55-t100-launch.jpg",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fspray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026",{"title":5,"description":271},"spray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026","en\u002Fposts\u002Fspray-drone-sales-fell-59-percent-fcc-ban-2026",[282,283,284,285,286],"spray drones","fcc","agricultural drones","part 137","dji",null,"KLP_xdxaloww8RktCdL6y-sm8HHweNOdLn6l6-9MaAc",[290,292,304,314],{"title":5,"description":271,"date":270,"category":269,"image":274,"slug":279,"tags":291,"author":6},[282,283,284,285,286],{"title":293,"description":294,"date":295,"category":269,"image":296,"slug":297,"tags":298,"author":6},"Massachusetts Drone Delivery Freeze: 16 Lawmakers Ask Healey","16 Massachusetts lawmakers asked Gov. Healey on Oct. 19, 2026 to freeze drone delivery certificates. MassDOT told Amazon it needs state approval. Details.","2026-10-23","\u002Fimages\u002FPrime-Air.jpg","massachusetts-drone-delivery-freeze-healey-amazon-2026",[299,300,301,302,303],"amazon","prime air","drone delivery","regulation","massachusetts",{"title":305,"description":306,"date":307,"category":269,"image":308,"slug":309,"tags":310,"author":6},"Amazon Drone Delivery Tallahassee: Mid-November Launch","Amazon Prime Air aims to start MK30 drone delivery in Tallahassee by mid-November, with up to 21 drones and a 7.5-mile range. Here is what's still pending.","2026-10-22","\u002Fimages\u002Famazon-prime-air-ajustes-richardson.jpg","amazon-drone-delivery-tallahassee-november-2026",[311,301,312,313,302],"amazon prime air","mk30","florida",{"title":315,"description":316,"date":317,"category":269,"image":318,"slug":319,"tags":320,"author":6},"Ghost Shark Sea Mines and Altius Drone Swarms Unveiled","Australia revealed Ghost Shark payloads on Oct. 19: 12 sea mines, Altius loitering-drone swarms and seabed caches. Here's what the drone sub can now do.","2026-10-21","\u002Fimages\u002Fanduril-yfq-44a-missile-test-2026.jpg","ghost-shark-sea-mines-altius-drone-swarms-2026",[321,322,323,324],"military drones","Anduril","Ghost Shark","loitering munitions",1792883897541]