The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is moving to retroactively ban the sale in the United States of existing drone and camera products made by companies suspected of links to Chinese drone maker DJI. The measures could cover products that have already been certified and are on sale, tightening U.S. restrictions on Chinese-made drones.

IT outlet The Verge reported on Sunday that the FCC is considering restricting imports, distribution, marketing and sales of products from companies suspected of entering the U.S. market by circumventing rules on foreign-made drones.

The action would be the first practical use of the FCC’s authority, secured in October last year, to impose retroactive sales bans. The targets include products such as Skyrover drones and Xtra cameras, and eight companies: Cogito Tech, Pixasoo Technology, Ryno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, Wavego Tech and Xtra Technology. Agricultural drone maker XAG is also included.

The FCC on July 11 proposed total fines of $25,000 for those companies. It is now pursuing a halt to sales of existing products, further raising the level of enforcement.

The biggest change is that products already certified by the FCC and sold in the United States could also become subject to the restrictions. For example, products sold by Xtra based on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 had previously received FCC certification and were sold normally on Amazon and elsewhere, but could be removed from major online shopping sites and the company’s own sales channels if the measures are finalised. Inventory stored in U.S. logistics warehouses could also become unsellable.

The measures would not apply to consumers who have already bought the products. The FCC said it would not recall products from existing buyers and would not implement the action immediately. It plans to take final action after a 30-day public comment period. The FCC reached a “preliminary conclusion” that the equipment falls under a sales ban based on national security concerns, but said it would give companies a chance to submit specific evidence to rebut that view.

The FCC also said it has temporarily suspended the companies’ grantee codes. A grantee code is a number used in the wireless equipment certification process to identify a manufacturer or the party responsible for certification. If the suspension remains in place, the companies could face significant constraints in obtaining certification and sales approval for new products in the United States.

The investigation began after concerns raised by researcher Conrad Iturbe, who has tracked DJI’s alleged circumvention sales structure. The FCC expanded the scope of its probe based on that and said it would also review ties with SGS-CSTC Shenzhen, a Chinese testing institution that took part in certifying some products.

The institution claimed it is not controlled by the Chinese government, but the FCC judged that it could fall under control under U.S. law based on its ownership structure. U.S. wireless equipment certification rules consider that a control relationship may be established if a specific party holds at least a 10 percent stake.

Industry observers interpret the move as a signal of tougher U.S. restrictions on Chinese drones, pressing beyond fines to target both products already in distribution and future certification procedures. Whether the measures are finally implemented will be decided after reviewing public comments and the companies’ explanations.