Donald Trump has threatened to block Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier from selling jets in the US unless it begins manufacturing them in America.
Trump has accused Bombardier of relying heavily on the US market while Canada restricts American companies, and has previously threatened measures against the company's aircraft.
Bombardier says it supports tens of thousands of US jobs and works with around 2,800 American suppliers, while Reuters reports that aerospace experts question how practical a sales restriction would be.
Trump Targets Bombardier, Threatens US Sales Ban Unless It Builds Planes In America
Trump has threatened to block Bombardier aircraft sales in the US unless the Canadian company manufactures planes there, despite its extensive US workforce and supply-chain links
Summary
US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) warned that Canada’s Bombardier “cannot sell in the US unless it builds there”. The comment puts trade pressure on a Canadian aerospace company and links access to the US market directly to manufacturing inside the United States. Reuters reported the remark on Monday, framing it around Trump’s push for more domestic production.
The statement matters because Bombardier sells aircraft and business jets into the US, a key aerospace market. It also adds to wider tariff and localisation pressure that Trump has used to press companies to build more in America.
Why Is Trump Targeting Bombardier?
Trump claims more than 50% of Bombardier's revenue comes from the US and says Canadian companies benefit from American buyers, companies, airports and services. He also accused Canada of blocking US banks and companies and specifically cited Gulfstream Aerospace. This isn't the first time Trump has targeted Bombardier.
Reuters reports that in January he threatened to decertify Bombardier's large-cabin aircraft and impose 50% import tariffs on new planes until Canada certified aircraft made by US rival Gulfstream.
The message was direct. Build in the United States or risk losing access to American buyers. The report placed Bombardier within a wider policy line that favours local production over imports.
In a post on Truth Social, he said, “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren't good enough! Over 50% of their revenue comes from the United States -They live off American Buyers, American Companies, American Airports, and American Service All while Canada blocks our GREAT American Banks, and Companies, throughout the U.S.A. They even blocked Gulfstream Aerospace from doing business in Canada - Completely unjust and unfair!” he said.
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What Would A US Bombardier Sales Ban Mean?
Bombardier is a Canadian aerospace company. Trump’s statement directly links its ability to sell in the US to whether it builds there. That raises the stakes for the company’s US market access. For aerospace manufacturers, production location can shape costs, supply chains and customer access.
Reuters says it employs around 3,500 people in the US, operates numerous service centres there and spends more than $2.5 billion annually with US suppliers. Many of its aircraft use American-made engines.
Bombardier pushed back against Trump's claims, highlighting its extensive US footprint. The company said it supports tens of thousands of American jobs and works with around 2,800 US suppliers across 47 states, spending more than $2.5 billion with them each year. Bombardier also said in a statement that its aircraft use American-made engines, avionics and other components, while some key aircraft parts are produced by its US workforce.
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“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees,” the company said, adding that it plans to continue investing in its US operations.
The aerospace industry's deep integration with US suppliers could complicate any attempt to restrict Bombardier's access to the American market. Aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia has questioned how practical such restrictions would be given Bombardier's existing US footprint.
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