Congress is looking to ban Chinese drones that are widely used in US. What to know about the debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The economic and technological rivalry between the United States and China has come to the drone market, where Chinese-made flying devices are a dominant player.

Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S. drone industry.

A defense bill that passed Congress last week would bar new Chinese drones from DJI Technology and Autel Robotics should a review find them to pose an “unacceptable” risk to U.S. national security.

But American users, from police officers to farmers, mappers and filmmakers, have come to rely on Chinese-made drones, especially those by DJI.

Here are things to know about the debate.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be U.N. ambassador, has led House efforts to ban new Chinese drones, saying Americans have become too dependent on them.

“It is strategically irresponsible to allow Communist China to be our drone factory,” she argued.

It was the role of drones in everyday life that drove Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to get Congress to restrict the purchase of Chinese drones by federal agencies. Those restrictions were included in a bill that Democratic President Joe Biden signed last year.

Scott has compared Chinese drones to spy balloons that could “gather data or carry harmful payloads” across America, posing risks to military bases, critical infrastructure and natural resources.

DJI, named in the bill, is the best-known Chinese drone brand. The company has the lion’s share of the global drone market and is a dominant player in the U.S. market. Its drones have been used by first responders to locate disaster victims, mappers to survey roads and utility lines, mosquito control officers to reach swarms of larvae, and filmmakers to capture aerial footage.

Founded in 2006 and based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, DJI makes devices that are known for their affordability and high performance. They are even used on the battlefield in Ukraine by both sides, even though DJI does not make military drones.

As U.S.-China relations soured, DJI drones have come under scrutiny. The U.S. government has put the company on several blacklists citing human rights concerns as well as alleged links to the Chinese military. DJI has denied any wrongdoing, and is suing the Pentagon over the designation that it is a Chinese military company.

U.S. customs officials have also blocked some DJI shipments over concerns that the products might have been made with forced labor. DJI has called it “a customs-related misunderstanding."

DJI has also expressed concern about the review of Chinese drones included in the defense bill., saying it doesn't allow the company to defend itself. It called for "a fair right of reply to any findings.”

Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, bean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader. A drone spreader costs $35,000, while a ground sprayer would cost $250,000, he said.

As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby formula to those who are stranded — something he did after Hurricane Helene.

“I am not going to say I won’t love to have U.S. drones, but I don’t see the American drones as anywhere close to the DJI drones in terms of reliability, ease of use, and just the user-friendly software,” Hedrick said. “The U.S. drones are not as good as DJI ones but cost twice as much.”

At the Interior Department, the ban on foreign-made drones has resulted in a “loss of opportunities to collect data on landscape, natural and cultural resources, wildlife and infrastructure,” according to a September report by the Government Accountability Office.

Michael Robbins, president and chief executive officer of AUVSI, an advocacy group for unmanned vehicles such as drones, argues against an immediate ban. Instead, the group has urged the government to support the domestic drone-making industry through investment so it can catch up with its Chinese competitors in both capability and cost.

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick uses a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick takes a DJI drone out of the closet to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick pulls out an EA Vision drone on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick shows footage of when he used his drone to drop supplies to people during Hurricane Helene recovery, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick shows footage of when he used his drone to drop supplies to people during Hurricane Helene recovery, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick puts a battery in a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick uses a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick pulls out an EA Vision drone on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick uses a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick's DJI drone puts crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick uses a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick flies a drone on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Russell Hedrick prepares a DJI drone to put crop cover on his farm, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Hickory, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Container Store has filed for bankruptcy protection as the storage and organizational goods retailer with roots dating back to the 1970s grapples with mounting losses and cash flow shortages.

The Texas company has faced increasing competition from retailers like Target and Walmart at the same time that demand for its goods are under strain in a rough housing market, where soaring prices and elevated mortgage rates have stunted sales.

Under Chapter 11 protection, The Container store will continue to operate while it restructures.

The company said Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas. The filing arrives two weeks after the trading of company shares were suspended by the New York Stock Exchange. The Container Store Group Inc. failed to maintain an average market capitalization of at least $15 million in accordance with NYSE rules.

Last month, The Container Store said that it was in advanced discussions with lenders to provide additional capital as it aimed to turn around sagging earnings and sales, according to a regulatory filing.

The company has struggled to raise cash and last month an agreement with the owner of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily that would have come with a $40 million cash infusion fell apart. The Container Store said in a regulatory filing that it did not believe that it could match the financing requirements of the partnership with Beyond Inc.

The Container Store was founded in 1978 by Garrett Boone, Kip Tindell and investor John Mullen, who opened the doors of The Container Store’s first location in Dallas, according to the company. Neither of the men, Boone with a master’s degree in history and Tindell who was an English major, expected a career in retail. Yet both were driven by the idea of creating a store devoted entirely to storage.

The chain had its skeptics when Boon and Tindell opened their first 1,600-square-foot location. Yet the chain expanded to more than 100 stores ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 square feet, according to the company.

In 1999, The Container Store purchased one of its vendors, Elfa International. In 2021, it acquired Chicago's Closet Works and launched its premium, wood-based line Preston shortly thereafter.

In its most recent quarter the company reported losses of $16 million and comparable store sales, a good barometer of a retailer's health, dropped 12.5%.

FILE - Storage bins from the Container Store are shown on Dec.13, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz, File)