U.S. officials are considering ramping up defenses against one of China's most ubiquitous technologies: drones. The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that it is exploring a rule that could restrict Chinese drones in the United States — or ban them entirely.

The Commerce Department requested that private companies comment on the implications of the rule by March. The final decision will fall to the Trump administration.

China called the United States "extremely irresponsible" for "groundlessly suspecting" there are information security risks in China's drone systems, its commerce ministry said on Tuesday. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the U.

Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, soybean and wheat fields at a fraction of what

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the department could impose restrictions focused will be on Chinese drones.

The U.S. Commerce Department is evaluating new regulations that could limit or prohibit the use of Chinese-made drones, citing national security concerns. Public comments on the proposed rules are being accepted until March 4,